People naturally get three military holidays confused.
Armed Forces Day is for those still serving.
Veteran's Day is for those who previously served.
Memorial Day is for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. They never came home.
Armed Forces Day is the least known of the three honors days and is observed on the third Saturday in May, very shortly before Memorial Day. The close dates of the two observances contribute to the lack of awareness of Armed Forces Day and its small ceremonies.
Veteran's Day is observed on November 11. It was originally "Armistice Day," marking the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Memorial Day is a federal and Alabama state holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It was originally "Decoration Day" to place American Flags and flowers on the graves of those who gave their all in the U.S. military.
Nowadays, Memorial Day has expanded. In Alabama, it is a three-day holiday weekend. Barbeques, lakes, beaches. The unofficial start of summer. But let us not forget the real meaning of Memorial Day.
In 1868, Decoration Day was established as a time for the country to decorate with flowers the graves of fallen soldiers in the War Between the States (the Civil War, the War of Southern Independence). After World War I, Decoration Day was changed to remember all soldiers who lost their lives in wars.
On May 11, 1950, Decoration Day became Memorial Day. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday and set it for the last Monday in May.
We need to be mindful of the ultimate sacrifice that brave men and women made as they served our country. Since 2000, Americans have been asked to join in a moment of remembrance at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day Monday. This time of reflection allows us to pause and think seriously about how the American way of life is made possible by those who died serving their country and to thank God for their sacrifices.
John McCrae's famous poem "In Flanders Fields" reminds us that the torch of freedom is passed from those who died in service. We are "to hold it high." Going forth, let us do exactly that as we remember the great cost of freedom and those who paid dearly for us to enjoy it.
Wishing folks a "Happy Memorial Day" is not as appropriate as "Blessed Memorial Day." The day is quite serious, especially for those who lost a friend or loved one defending our freedom.
Have a Blessed Memorial Day.
Jim' Zig' Zeigler's beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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