Honor those who served this Memorial Day

Memorial Day is commemorated on the last Monday in May. This holiday honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was originally known as Decoration Day. In 1868 General John A. Logan, Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, called on soldiers and those in the community to decorate the graves of their fallen comrades. Following the Civil War, it officially became a holiday in 1971. Today, Memorial Day is celebrated by visiting cemeteries or memorials. There are also gatherings or parades to honor the fallen heroes.

If you would like to get involved and honor those who served check with your local installation as they usually ask for volunteers to place flags on grave sites. 

An interesting fact that I learned is that if a coin is left on a headstone it informs the family that someone stopped by to pay their respect. A penny means you visited. A nickel means you and the deceased trained at boot camp together. A dime means you and the deceased veteran served together.

You may find that some people get confused in differentiating Memorial Day and Veterans Day. If you ever heard someone say Happy Memorial Day, you may not have known how to respond. Both holidays honor the U.S. Military but they are different. Veterans Day honors all those who served, while Memorial Day specifically honors the deceased.