May 29, 2017 - Memorial Day in the US

Memorial Day is a holiday in the US that is celebrated the last Monday of May to honor the sacrifice of those who have died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle in service to their country. What began nearly 150 years ago, has become one of the nation's most solemn and hallowed holidays. Americans traditionally clean headstones and decorate them with flowers in remembrance of the war dead in almost every city and cemetery across the US.   

What began with dozens of informal commemorations of those killed in the Civic War has continued to this day. From its earliest incarnation as "Decoration Day" to a more modern "Memorial Day" observance, the dead who served are honored and it is a day that brings people together.  We are proud of all the men and women who have served, who serve now and those will will serve no matter where they might be.  God bless and keep them in the hollow of His hand.

I love this very old patriotic photo of George Holyoak from Burley, Idaho riding in a parade (see float behind him) and more than likely a parade for the 4th of July. 

When I met first Garth's parents in 1963, I learned more about Memorial Day and the tradition in their family. Garth's mom was the daughter of Arthur Clark and Ruth Craner Judd and their son, Ross, died after serving in World War II. He served honorably but when returning home, he died tragically in an airplane crash. He was buried in the Burley, Idaho, cemetery. G'pa and G'ma Judd never got over their loss nor did his siblings. I recall my first visit to the Burley cemetery where my future mother-in-law took me to the cemetery and pointed out a small headstone next to where his parents would one day be buried. Every time we went to Burley, we would visit the cemetery.

Photo:  Gravestone of Arthur & Ruth Judd. 

Visiting the cemetery was something Mom Holyoak did on a regular basis in 

the effort to honor her brother and make sure his gravestone was well-kept.

Karisa, G'ma, Keri and Garth at G'pa John's grave Memorial Weekend.

When G'pa John died in 1991, Mom Holyoak visited his grave every week. She spent hours scraping off the buildup of calcium from sprinklers and I think felt closer to G'pa as she lovingly cared for his tombstone. This was a beautiful tradition that was never part of my life when I grew up in Boise, Idaho. After I graduated from college, I never returned to Boise to live and therefore was never around Memorial weekends.

Photo:  1992

After G'pa died, we visited his grave every Memorial Day when we went to Idaho with our family to visit G'ma.

This photo was the first Memorial Day after Garth's mom died where both parents are buried. Keith Judd, her brother from Sacramento, made sure that two beautiful arrangements were delivered for his sister, Clea, and her husband. Ruth Marie, Mom's only sister and her husband, Lynn, always visit the cemetery and take flowers. I am sure that Garth's parents are fully aware and appreciate their devotion. We as a family also make certain that an arrangement is sent every year and are grateful for the many others who also pay tribute to them. My best friend, Sherry Summers from Blackfoot, has also visited their grave and even planted new grass when it needed some TLC. Susan Broadhead Denham, one of Mom's favorite junior high students, also visits her grave. We appreciate everyone who pays tribute to Garth's wonderful parents and go out of their way to visit their graves Memorial weekend. 

Our daughters also make an effort to visit the cemetery when they pass through Burley. 

I believe in so doing they will learn to appreciate a reverence for grave yards.  

Did you know that red poppies are a symbol of Memorial Day and wearing them is done only on Memorial Day?  The origin of the red poppy was a modern day symbol of this day and was idea of an American Woman, Miss Moina Michael.  She was an American professor and humanitarian who conceived the idea of using poppies as a symbol of remembrance for those who served in World War I. Her picture was also placed on a US postal stamp.

The red field poppy was one of the first plants to grow in war-torn battlefields. The seeds scatter in the wind and stand dormant in the ground then germinate in the Spring.  In Israel, poppies are the first flowers to bloom. 

The practice of wearing poppies was further inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," written by a Canadian soldier John McCrae. He saw fields of poppies in areas around his artillery position in Belgium. Today, poppies are the symbol of not only loss of life but also of new life and the recovery of life of soldiers who were damaged physically and emotionally.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies

grow in Flanders Field.

Garth and Mom at the cemetery Memorial Day.

Karisa and children visiting the graves of my parents in Boise, Idaho this past year.  

Visiting the graves of my parents does not give me a sense of peace as both died 
tragically but I am sure it probably does others.

Arlington Cemetery is the location for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a monument in dedication to the services of an unknown soldier and to the memories of all soldiers killed in any war. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in war with their remains being unidentified. Following World War I, a movement arose to commemorate these soldiers with a single tomb, containing the body of one such unidentified soldier.

It is very difficult to become a Tomb Guard. Members of the Old Guard must apply for the position. If chosen, the applicant goes through an intense training period, in which they must pass tests on weapons, ceremonial steps, cadence, military bearing, uniform preparation and orders. Although military members are known for their neat uniforms, it’s said that the Tomb Guards have the highest standards of them all. 

Did you know that everything the guards do is a series of 21, which alludes to the 21-gun salute? The twenty-one gun salute is the  highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. 

This is the guard's regime:  it takes 21 steps to walk across the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The guard stops on the 21st step rather than an about face. He then turns to face back down the mat, changes the weapon to the outside shoulder while mentally counting off 21 seconds, then steps off for another 21 steps down the mat. He faces the Tomb at each end of the 21 step walk for 21 seconds then repeats this over and over again until the Guard Change ceremony begins again.

In early rural America, this duty was performed in late summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics. After the Civil War, America’s need for a patriotic ceremony to honor its military dead became prominent, as monuments to fallen soldiers were erected and dedicated and ceremonies centering on the decoration of soldiers’ graves were held in towns and cities throughout the nation. After World War I, the day expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars.

Some very interesting facts regarding the Tomb Guard:

         1. His gloves are moistened to prevent him from losing grip on the rifle.
         2. He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb.  After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
         3.  The guards are changed every 36 minutes twenty-four hours a day, 365 days/year.
         4. For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5'10" and 6'2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30". 
         5.  A guard must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in the barracks under the tomb and cannot drink any type of alcohol on or off duty for the rest of his life.  They cannot swear in public and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.
        6.  After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin to wear on his lapel signifying he has served as guard of the tomb.  Presently, there are only 400 worn.  The guard must obey all rules the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
        7. His shoes are made of very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from his feet.  There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as he comes to a halt.
        8.  There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.  Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.
        9.  The tomb has been patrolled continuously,  24/7, since 1930, regardless of rain or shine.
        10.  The honor to be a guard is incredibly rare and is the least awarded badge in the Army and the 2nd least honored bade in the overall army.  Tomb Guards are held to the highest standards of behavior and can have their badge taken away for any reason on or off duty for his entire lifetime.  Those who wear the badge do so in honor and respect of their country.

President Donald Trump gave a Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery and laid a wreathe at the cemetery.

Arlington is not the only cemetery that traditionally honors fallen soldiers. I was born in Hawaii and my parents lived there when World War II started.  I recall the stories told by my father and brother about their experience the Sunday morning of the attack. When we visited Hawaii years later, the Punch Bowl Cemetery was high on the list. It is located on the island of Oahu and this photo was taken at the overlook of the Honolulu skyline.

The cemetery is called the Punch Bowl Cemetery of the Pacific and was given it's name because of its shape.  The cemetery lies in an extinct volcano called Pouwaina and consists of 116 acres. Roughly translated, Pouwaina means Consecrated Hill or Hill of Sacrifice. As of 1951, all of the graves are marked with marble slabs.

At the top of the steps is a fountain and a memorial chapel where one can ponder over the thousands of engraved names of 28,788 military personnel who are missing in action, lost or buried at sea in the Pacific during World War II. It is a sobering moment to stand there and view the thousands of engraved names. At the base of the staircase is a dedication stone engraved with the following words:

IN THESE GARDENS ARE RECORDED THE NAMES 

OF AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES 

IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND WHOSE

EARTHLY RESTING PLACE IS KNOWN ONLY TO GOD

Also at the top of the staircase is a statue of Lady Liberty who represents all grieving mothers. She stands while holding a laurel branch and the inscription below the statue reads:

THE SOLEMN PRIDE THAT MUST BE YOURS

TO HAVE LAID COSTLY A SACRIFICE 

UPON THE ALTER OF FREEDOM.

Every year children across Hawaii make handmade flower lies which are then placed upon every single grave at Punch Bowl as a sign of respect and as a very grateful "mahalo" (thank you) to the soldiers buried therein.

And  . . . one more tradition that truly sets Hawaii apart of the state's reverence for this day is the most well-known Lantern Floating Ceremony. After a beautiful ceremony, specially crafted floating lanterns inscribed by hand with prayers and personal messages are launched into the water.

The day ends right before sunset when

more than 40,000 participants

 gather at Ala Moana Beach 

Park to launch the floating lanterns.

And lastly, is a song written by Irving Berlin that all Americans love:

God Bless America, 

Land that I love. 

Stand beside her, and guide her 

Thru the night with a light from above. 

From the mountains, to the prairies, 

To the oceans, white with foam 

God bless America, My home sweet home.