North Country Leader

On the last Monday of May, Americans gather with their families to celebrate and enjoy each other's company. While many treat this day as a celebration, it should also be regarded as a day of remembrance. The opportunity to engage in these celebrations is made possible by the soldiers who died defending U.S. freedoms.

This year marks the 165th Memorial Day on May 27. Following the Civil War, Memorial Day, initially called Decoration Day, was established on May 5, 1868. The name Decoration Day originated from the tradition of decorating fallen soldiers' headstones with gifts and flowers. Initially, Decoration Day honored Civil War soldiers who sacrificed their lives to preserve the union. By 1890, all former Union states had officially recognized Decoration Day.

After World War II, citizens began replacing the name Decoration Day with Memorial Day to include veterans of any American conflict. In 1968, the U.S. government enacted the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, establishing Memorial Day on the final Monday of each May.

A Vietnam veteran shared his personal connection to Memorial Day: "Several people I knew and worked with were killed in combat, and this is something I will have to carry with me for the rest of my life." He emphasized that battlefield experiences put life in perspective and highlighted that freedom comes at a cost: "Freedom is not free. Freedom must be fought for."

He recalled Ronald Reagan's quote: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” This quote encapsulates the spirit of freedom and underscores the effort required to ensure its preservation.