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By John E. Carey Created by Civil War widows to honor their dead, Memorial Day was first called Decoration Day. The day marked the annual “decoration” of graves with flowers. Today, Memorial Day honors all war dead, and, as at Arlington National Cemetery, it has become customary to decorate the graves with a small American Flag instead of flowers. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on May 30, 1868. On Memorial Day, at Arlington National Cemetery, traditionally the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The occasion is also marked in almost every State on the last Monday in May. Several southern states, however, have an additional, separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee. The newest “tradition” perhaps of Memorial Day is the annual tribute to The Fallen in Washington DC provided by “Rolling Thunder.” The major function of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is to publicize POW-MIA issues: To educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war-missing in action. Rolling Thunder is also committed to helping American veterans from all wars. Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is a non-profit organization. Members donate their time because they believe in the issues they support. Here is General Logan’s official order: General Orders No.11, WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 1868 The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit. We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, “of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion.” What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/ John E. Carey is the former president of International Defense Consultants, Inc.
A writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...
I can't understand This is not a caustic criticism, just a lament because I cannot understand how a person with a distinguished military record, a person who claims that he has an extensive experience on the very day when we commemorate the dead , that person - never mentions the horrible illegal wars we now conduct and prize of our people and civilians dead, coming closer and closer to 1 mln dead. - does not mention the horrible looting of our treasury and shameful thievery we all witness done by goons who are in power and smirk at us. - does not mention the abominable way of treating veterans, the Walter Reed story, the Jessica Lynch sham, the smearing of Max Cleland. - does not mention that the primary driver of all that is a person whose greatest achievement was killing 400 birds and nearly killing a man. I mean Mr. Cheney, that's who I mean. - does not mention that our President during Vietnam had arranged to be as far from the battlefield as possible, same with Cheney. - does not mention that we still in this country consider the Nuclear bombardment of Japan as a great thing. - does not mention that one after another the greatest leaders of this nation condemned war and war profiteers. - does not mention how Lincoln saw the war and casualties. - does not offer even a slightest condolensces to the victims of the US invasions, hundreds of thousands of those from Panama to Iraq. Does not mention our support of thee coups, Chilean as a most horrible example. - does not say even a word on the necessity for our nation to abandon the miliotarism for our own survival. - does not say anything about Cindy Sheehan and her struggle right at this very day when she resigned, more disillusioned then ever. No, I do not criticise. I am sorry for Mr. Carey and others like him. I am sorry for the people who, unliike many others have the ways and means to understand things and do good but they deliberately prefer to ' hear no evi, see no evil'. I am so sorry. Let me tell you something, folks; every time you ignore those things I have listed you kill those boys and girls again and again. No, I do not wish you to sleep well at night. by
Mark Sashine (47 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3360 comments)
on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 7:13:24 AM
Love is my religion; the world is my family.
Thank you Namaste. by
carl (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 124 comments)
on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 10:52:27 PM
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