Memorial Day Event

[Craig L Barry]

Question:
What are your plans to honor our fallen this Memorial Day? Is there a Memorial Day event in your area where you are welcome to participate?

Me? I am participating in a ceremony at the Stones River NPS Battlefield Park. A little march in, a keynote speaker, three rounds fired in honor, and then a hot dog cook-out put on by the park rangers. They built a little ampitheater right by the cemetary which is new this year.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Memorial Day Event

Taking my wife and kid to our town's Memorial Day parade and attending the American Legion's memorial ceremony at the local Civil War monument in the village park at the end of the parade. Oh, that, and I have the US flag hanging on pole off the front porch--unlike the vast majority of my neighbors.

[John Slade]

Re: Memorial Day Event

My unit dedicates a new gravestone from the SCV, every year for the origonal members of our company. I'm not sure how many we have done, I think six since I've joined and a few before that.

John Slade
27 Va. G
Wheeling's own Shriver Greys

[DougCooper]

Re: Memorial Day Event

From dawn I will be standing sentinel over the grave of Pvt Stephen Matthews, 116th New York Infantry, in the Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise, ID. Pvt Matthews is buried away in a non-veteran marked grave from the other CW vets (over 100) who are interned in "Silent Camp" with a statue standing sentinel. I have a bum knee and cannot march so figured it was the least I could do while the other troops are doing salutes across the way. They will then march across the cemetery to my position and salute Pvt Matthews as well. His great great grandson Gary Keith will be in the ranks (and is working on the veteran grave stone). Matthews served through the entire war, including the Red River Campaign. Later, we have two original Napoleons firing with two WW2 Pak howitzers at the Idaho Veterans Cemetery in a 21 gun salute. The Napoleons fire the first two and the last two rounds. Timing will be everything. Finally, the group will fire a salute at the Fort Boise Reserve cemetery over another group of CW and Indian War vets.

A LOT of vets moved to Idaho at the end of the war, on both sides.

Idaho did not get a Veterans Cemetery until 2004, the last state in the Union (by far) to designate one. Since then, 1000 vets have been buried there...the first being a young soldier killed in action in Iraq.

God Bless them all.

[jfeagin]

Re: Memorial Day Event

I'll be doing some volunteer work over at Gettysburg for the NPS. Interesting about the 116th New York. My Gr.Gr.Gr. Grandfather was in the 116th. His name was William Ibach, an immigrant from Germany. He was a leather tanner after the war in Jerusalem Corners, New York. Got to see the rifle he carried when I was a kid and did not appreciate things when I visited my Gr. Grandfather. It was I believe a Sharps which I assume he must have bought. He used it after the war to dispatch horsesand other animals for leather.

Also I'll be thinking about and sending a prayer out to the young men and women, some of who may well be killed today, serving overseas... Whatever we may think on the war, they are soldiers doing their duty and are an honor to the nation...

John Feagin

[Poor Private]

Re: Memorial Day Event

I had to work today, but on my way home I stopped at our local cemetary to pay my own personal homage to Lt. Charles Barrell 102nd colored Infantry. A M.O.H. winner. It was kinda nice , just me talking and thankin him for his service. Long after the morning visitors were long gone. Nice to have the place to myself.

[ArtilleryNick]

Re: Memorial Day Event

The battery I belong to participates in a living history in the town of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, encamped in a cemetary, off a busy road, and in a location people must pass by to get to arts and crafts vendors scattered throughout the little town. It is by no way any sort of real authentic event, but each year it's always nice since we get to interact with people who wouldn't likely be inclined to check out our hobby or way of life. Our battery is also responsible for putting up national flags along the road way in the morning and taking them down at night. At the end of the day, we participate in a processional from the center of the town, down into the cemetary to commemerate the first decorating of the graves of 3 men of the town who had died in 1863. Boalsburg is one of the many towns that claims to be the first to have celebrated Memorial Day.
I spent a great portion of the day when not on the cannons just interacting with people to give them a glimpse of a soldiers life. The young kids seemed to find being able to handle a piece of hardtack great fun, and people were interested when I was making hot tea over our fire with a boiler I got from Orchard Hill.
I intend on doing the same thing next Memorial Day. It may not be everyones ideal way of marking the day, but to give people a glimpse of history before and after they go spending money on pointless items is good to me.

[Dale Beasley]

Re: Memorial Day Event

I avoided being around crowds as much as possible. I took my boys to my family's graveyard and we placed both US and Confederate flags besides grave markers. I then told my boys about a friend of mine who was killed near me in Iraq. We lit a candle for him during Mass. Life is more simple now.

[DougCooper]

Re: Memorial Day Event

It was about 40 deg at dawn when I began to stand guard over Pvt Stephen Matthews in the Morris Hill Cemetery here in Boise. Nobody was around and it was very quiet. I had placed a piece of hardtack on his grave, as the only visible clue that he was a Union soldier. At one point the caretaker slowly drove by and eventually stopped his truck somewhere behind me. He quietly came up and took a photo with his cell phone and said "thank you." As the sun came up over the mountains it shone first on the face of the soldier sentinel statue across the cemetery in "Silent Camp", the Civil War section - guarding men from Minnesota to Maine, Delaware to Iowa, Ohio to Oregon. It was beautiful to see.

The boy scouts began to place flags on every grave from every war in the special sections, from the Civil War to Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Comrades Gary and Chris arrived and Chris procured some more flags to place on the graves of Pvt Matthews, Bvt BG John Green, Medal of Honor, Modoc Campaign, and John R Russell, unit unknown but in the GAR according to his stone. We could have used 100 more as we realized we were surrounded by soldiers, some with vet markers, others with simple words like G.A.R. or their unit. These men had died before the Silent Camp had been dedicated for CW vets, or for whatever reason chose to be buried next to spouses or by themselves in other sections of the cemetery. Many have no veteran grave stone or GAR marker. There is no ceremony held near their graves. We resolved in future years to each guard one man from dawn until the start of the regular ceremony each year until we are no longer able to stand. I should be lucky to live that long...there are so many of them.

Later, I said hello at the new Idaho Vets cemetery to old friend Rob "R2" Roberts, Sp4, USA, who died much to young and was one of the very first internments there when it opened. He was a paratrooper and his grave says, among other things, "Blue Sky R2."

We fired the Napoleons as part of the 21 gun salute and then watched as a missing man formation of A-10's flew over the huge flag in a 20 knot wind flying over the graves of heroes and the faithful. I was thinking of comrades gone before me in peace and war and I was left with an overwhelming feeling of pride in our service and having known them, but I was also proud of the huge crowd that was there. The citizens out here left their politics at home and came to honor and thank the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, past and present.

I cannot remember a better Memorial Day and I thanked God for the blue sky, the 26 million vets who are living today and the hearts of the people around me that still hold that there is something sublime in duty and noble in sacrifice for your country.

[116thNY]

Re: Memorial Day Event

Comrades,
I cannot thank Doug Cooper enough for all of his support. To arrive at the Cemetery and see him standing at support arms over my great great grandfather's grave was really something.
Doug was kind enough to loan me the wear of his frock coat so I could be attired exactly as my ancestor, Pvt Matthews. This really made the day for me and it speaks highly of Doug's devotion to his comrades and the hobby.

This was without a doubt the best Memorial Day I have experienced. Attendance at the first two ceremonies was high, with many families and their children there. I feel this was an important part of the success of the day's activities. Parents were active in exposing their children to our nation's heroes and teaching them respect and gratitude.
Doug, Chris and myself did not make it to the third ceremony Doug spoke of as we helped load up the Napoleons for transport, but this was still a great part of the day as we conducted living history with the visitors.

It was gratifying to see so many people out to show their respect and appreciation for our veterans.
Respectfully,
Gary A. Keith

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Memorial Day Event

Well I knew we would have a few "keepers of the flame" among this group. Kudos and thanks to all who responded. I was not able to attract the other members of my family beside my file partner (son) to attend the ceremony at Stones River NPS (STRI), it was "too hot".

Six hundred boy scouts placed the six thousand flags in the cemetary by noon. The new rostrum built on the site of the original was completed and ready for the event. There was some Civil War period music as well as a brief speech before the reading of the names of veterans of all wars who passed away this year. Turning away from the crowd to fire the "salute" over the acres of graves all marked w/ American flags was quite a sight.

I did wonder about the forgotten Confederates at STRI who were also Americans, buried in unmarked graves with nothing said or done to recognize their sacrifice. I inquired about whether this was an unintentional oversight being Memorial Day and all. If I understood their response, it was not. The only soldiers buried in the cemetary are Federal, and the only Memorial Day ceremony was at the rostrum beside the cemetary.

National Park Service politics...it can leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

[DougCooper]

Re: Memorial Day Event

Craig - the CS side of things is always a controversial subject...and in Idaho it sure wasn't helped by a local cretin who showed up in a very bad CS costume and interrupted me as I prayed over one of the graves of a friend. "Top of the morning Yank!" I did not respond. This idiot then came up after the big ceremony and said within earshot of 50 people surrounding us and one of the 12 pounders: "You yanks should have filled the guns with bird shot when they let all those white doves go." Again, I did not respond but this time the crowd let him know he was not welcome. Sheesh.

We are going to attempt to determine how many CS vets are buried in the cemeteries out here. We know of a couple who took the parole and joined the Union army, being shipped out west to serve.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Memorial Day Event

IIRC, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the GAR, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. This seems to me as it should be today. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation and to honoring those who gave up their lives fighting for our country. Ironically though, it might have been the decision of some Southern states (years later) to honor their Civil War dead on various alternate dates that contributed to the current "division". I did not feel I was getting an all inclusive answer to my inquiry at the NPS ceremony, and it seemed to hit a nerve but all that misses the point...which is:

Traditional observance of Memorial Day seems to have diminished over the years, from what I remember in the past. Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemetaries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored or neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day (as Kevin O'Beirne points out). While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in recent memory. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to the country, if they know anything about the significance of the day at all. And last time I checked the Southern states were still part of the country. This isn't political, it is just common sense. If I can be allowed to wax philosophical for a moment, the "giving back" of something on this day, even if only your time, is of paramount importance before the true meaning of the holiday is lost in the shuffle. Too many consider it no more than the unofficial start of "Summer vacation". If we lose sight of what Memorial Day represents and who it should honor, we've lost an important part of our history. And it should honor all the American soldiers who died fighting for the country. Period.

Sorry, if I got a little preachy there. I said it now I'm done. Again, thanks to all who posted.

[Bummer]

Re: Memorial Day Event

I posted my Memorial Day story on a different Memorial Day thread before I saw this one. Should have put it here...wish I had.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Memorial Day Event

IIRC, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the GAR, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

General Logan was following higher orders from his wife when he made the proclmation and all us married folks know that orders such as those are to be carried out PDQ.

Here is a little Memorial Day history that may be of interest.

http://www.petersburgexpress.com/Edison.html

I agree that it does not speak highly of our society when a sale at the mall draws more people than rememberance ceremonies at local military cemetaries. My unit has done Memorial Day weekend living histories at Yorktown NBP for the last 20 + years. It is surprising how many people visit the beach down the road and how few visit the soldiers cemetary less than half a mile away.