DRAFT CLEARED/ ~*`A MEMORIAL DAY WORTH CELEBRATING`*~
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have fallen during service to our country. As we commemorate the soldiers we have lost, as well as wounded soldiers, bereaved families, orphans and widows, let's not forget the meaning and traditions behind this sacred holiday.
~*`A MEMORIAL DAY WORTH CELEBRATING`*~
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, as its purpose was to visit cemeteries and place flowers on the graves of soldiers who had died in the Civil War. In 1882, people started calling it "Memorial Day," and by the time World Wars I and II had ended, it had evolved into a day to honor all fallen military men and women, no matter what war they fought in.
Early Observances of Memorial Day
The Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history, requiring the establishment of the country's first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.
It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. Nevertheless, in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo-which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866-was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags
"For too many Americans, Memorial Day has become just another day off," said Andy Rooney. How did he want the holiday celebrated? By putting an end to war. "That would be a Memorial Day worth celebrating," he said.
In the video above, Rooney, a veteran of World War II, remembers his fallen friends and takes issue with a common colloquialism. "We use the phrase 'gave their lives,' but they didn't give their lives. Their lives were taken from them," said Rooney.
This segment was originally broadcast on May 29, 2005.
...SOURCE:...CBS NEWS
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A Memorial Day Prayer
By Rev. D Kozelka (ret)
First Congregational Church of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN.
Eternal God,
Creator of years, of centuries,
Lord of whatever is beyond time,
Maker of all species and master of all history --
How shall we speak to you
from our smallness and inconsequence?
Except that you have called us to worship you
in spirit and in truth;
You have dignified us with loves and loyalties;
You have lifted us up with your loving kindnesses.
Therefore we are bold to come before you without groveling
[though we sometimes feel that low]
and without fear
[though we are often anxious].
We sing with spirit and pray with courage
because you have dignified us;
You have redeemed us from the aimlessness
of things' going meaninglessly well.
God, lift the hearts of those
for whom this holiday is not just diversion,
but painful memory and continued deprivation.
Bless those whose dear ones have died
needlessly, wastefully [as it seems]
in accident or misadventure.
We remember with compassion those who have died
serving their countries
in the futility of combat.
There is none of us but must come to bereavement and separation,
when all the answers we are offered
fail the question death asks of each of us.
We believe that you will provide for us
as others have been provided with the fulfillment of
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
~*`WHAT OLD GLORY MEANS TO ME`*~
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Home Of The Brave
Land Of The Free
This Is What Old Glory Means To Me...
~ ~ ~
Home Of The Brave
Young Men Do We See
Sacrificing Lives For All To Be Free
Glory Of Country Created By God
For You And Me...
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In God We Must Trust
For Peace To Be
Praising His Love Over Land And Sea...
~ ~ ~
Home Of The Brave
Land Of The Free
Old Glory Waves In Memory Of Thee...
~ ~ ~
Young Men And Women
Offering Their Lives
So Others Can Be Free
This Is What `Old Glory` Stands For You And Me...
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Jesus Christ Gave His Life
For Freedom Of Our Souls
Our Troops Gave Their Lives
For The Freedom Old Glory Beholds...
~ ~ ~
Home Of The Brave
Land Of The Free
This Is What Old Glory Means To Me...
~'MJB'~
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DRAFT CLEARED/ ~*`A MEMORIAL DAY WORTH CELEBRATING`*~
~*`WHAT OLD GLORY MEANS TO ME`*~
