"...gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime....let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan." --
General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868
Arlington National Cemetery
The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:
• by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
• by visiting memorials.
• by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.
• by flying the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well
(Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
• by participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance": at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
• by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our falled dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.
Do you know how to properly display the USA Flag?
Memorial Day is observed next Monday, May 25 (last Monday in May) and that, by tradition, all U.S. Flags at all government buildings are to be flown per the U.S. Flag Code, which includes the quirky provision that, technically, U.S. Flags are supposed to be flown at half-staff only until noon. You might be interested to know that when raising the flag on this occasion, the flag is first supposed to be raised “briskly” to full staff first and then lowered down to half staff. Then, at noon, it is supposed to be raised back up again to full staff.
As you know, the public—especially our honored veterans and families & loved ones of those who have given their lives in service to our country—do watch what we do and how we do it regarding our flags, so, if possible, proper protocol and tradition should be followed on this special day of rememberance.
THE FLAG CODE
Title 36, U.S.C., Chapter 10
As amended by P.L. 344, 94th Congress
Approved July 7, 1976
Memorial Day (half-staff until noon) - last Monday in May
CB,
Vexillologist