Our Voice: A day to remember and honor; a day of triumph

Even though summer doesn’t officially begin for a few weeks, most folks view Memorial Day weekend as the kick-off to the season in the United States.

Camping, barbecues and outdoor pursuits are on the agenda. For the more practical among us, it’s a good time to catch up on yard work and get the garden planted.

But while many of will enjoy a three-day break from the office, the holiday is about so much more.

It is a time for us to reflect and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives so that we may live freely.

Once known as Decoration Day, the Civil War was the catalyst for its origin, with a proclamation in 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. He instructed citizens to adorn “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 churchyard in the land” with flowers.

The event evolved to become a remembrance of all those who have died in service to the nation. That number stands at more than 1 million today. Nearly 500,000 of those deaths were during the Civil War, when our own were killing each other. More than 400,000 died in World War II when we came to the aid of those fighting for their freedoms and survival against evil forces.

And while Memorial Day is a day to look back and give thanks, it is also a day of triumph. Those who died did so that we may live in the Land of the Free. They are the true ambassadors of the Home of the Brave. Our nation remains the greatest in the world today because of their selflessness.

The protocol for the U.S. Flag on Memorial day is a good example of the mix of emotions the day brings. The flag is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position only until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the rest of the day. According to usmemorialday.org, “The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in service of their country. At noon, their memory is raised by the living, who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up in their stead and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.”

We like the spirit of those statements and invite you all to follow suit this Memorial Day. Take a moment out of whatever you may have planned Monday morning to remember the fallen and thank them for their sacrifice. You can do this at a public event or on your own. In the afternoon take another moment, this time to celebrate our nation, what it stands for and the fact that it still stands tall thanks to those who have fought for that freedom.

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 2:36 AM with the headline "Our Voice: A day to remember and honor; a day of triumph."