On May 1, 1865, less than a month after Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, a parade was held. Ten thousand people, most of whom were recently freed slaves as well as the famous 54th Massachusetts Union regiment, marched through the streets of Columbia, South Carolina, to honor 257 fallen Union soldiers. Those soldiers had recently been reinterred from a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. That prison camp had been located on the grounds of the Washington Race Course, a horse racing track on the peninsula of Charleston. The throng of people sang songs, prayed and laid flowers on the graves of the soldiers. They called the troops “the Martyrs of the Race Course.”
In 1868, Gen. John A. Logan, the leader of an organization of Union veterans, declared May 30 Decoration Day, a time for the nation to decorate Union soldier’s graves with flowers. On that first Decoration Day, future president and a former Union general, James Garfield, made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, extolling the patriotism and virtue of the Union casualties.
Decoration Day is believed to have first been called Memorial Day in 1882, but the new name didn’t gain popularity until after World War I. The holiday, observed May 30 in the Union states and on other days in the former Confederacy, expanded to include the soldiers who died in WWI and eventually all soldiers lost in service to our country. The custom of wearing red poppies for Memorial Day also became popular during the first World War.
On June 28, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Holiday Bill, which took effect Jan. 1, 1971. That legislation declared the last Monday in May as Memorial Day, an official federal holiday. Later in 2000, a resolution was passed asking all Americans voluntarily observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, “pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or to listen to ‘Taps.’”
A few weeks ago, I got the chance to visit with William McAnany Jr., from here in Jefferson City. Mr. McAnany, who is 99 years old, served in World War II on hospital ships and was a crew member of the USS Solace during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served during WWII and the Korean conflict and was awarded numerous medals and commendations throughout his service.
It’s easy to see Memorial Day as just another holiday. The weather heats up, and we get an extra day off work. Lots of folks will be going to the lake, fishing and camping. School’s out, or at least almost out. These days, Memorial Day is generally regarded as a time for relaxation.
I think about Bill McAnany, though. The things he went through during his time in the Navy, the things he saw. I think about the men and women who gave their lives to save our country, not just in the Civil War or WWII, but in all of America’s conflicts.
Sure, it’s great to get away from work or school, to get out and enjoy the weather. But next weekend, don’t forget the people like Bill McAnany or the Martyrs of the Race Course. Keep in mind that Memorial Day was meant to honor the sons and daughters of America, those people who gave, as Abraham Lincoln said, “the last full measure of devotion.”
So, put a flag or flowers on a soldier’s grave. Thank a service member you know. And at 3 p.m. next Monday, take a moment to honor these brave people. They faced awful things to keep us safe and free. They deserve our respect, our thoughts and our prayers.
State Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, represents the 6th District, and shares his perspective on statehouse issues twice a month.