Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. This weekend will see cookouts with family and friends; many will go to the beach, or just enjoy a long three-day weekend.

Memorial Day actually started as Decoration Day. The day was originally meant to honor those who lost their lives while fighting in the Civil War. When the United States was fighting in World War I, the holiday eventually evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars. Decoration Day was observed for decades on May 30, the date General John Logan, a leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, had selected in 1868. In 1966, the federal government declared Waterloo, NY, as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Evidently, Waterloo was chosen because of its long history of celebrating the day by closing businesses and decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags. It wasn’t until 1971 that Memorial Day was established and recognized as the last Monday in May.

Please take a moment on Monday to think about those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so we could enjoy the freedoms we do. Here are a few ideas of things you can do with your family on Monday to pay tribute to the fallen.

1) Participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time on Monday by pausing for one minute in silence.

2) Display the US flag at your home.

3) Watch the National Memorial Day Concert.

4) You can also learn more about the United Service Organizations' (USO) support of Gold Star Families.

Please enjoy your long weekend, and I look forward to seeing you on campus next week for the last week of the 2023-24 academic year.

Stuart