Memorial Day Thoughts
“It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.” ~Robert E. Lee
At the time of its conclusion, the United States Civil War was (and still is) the bloodiest conflict in our nation’s 241-year history. If one were to add up the total number of deaths suffered in war, the total for the civil war would still be greater than that of all the other conflicts the United States has been engaged in all together. According to a new study released in 2012, the cost in human life is close to 750,000 lives, over a hundred thousand more than previous estimates. To put that number in perspective…that’s almost twice the number killed in World War Two, almost seven times the number killed in World War One and twelve times more that the U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam. In 1860, the population of the United States (including the Southern States) was close to 31,500,000 people…the cost in human life was over 2.3% of the total U.S. population who died over the span of the war. With such a great and terrible cost of human life spent in order to preserve the Union and liberate a people from bondage, it is no wonder that so many people wished to remember those who died with a day of remembrance.
It was only three years after the bitter war between the states ended, General John Logan (head of the Grand Army of the Republic) declared that May 30, 1868 would be a day set aside for the purpose of decorating the headstones of those who had fallen during the great struggle, thus Decoration Day was born. May 30th was chosen as the day of remembrance as it was one of the few days of the year that no military engagement took place so it was accepted that it would not hold special meaning for either veterans of the North or the South. Men and women, young and old, every race and every nationality conceivable participated in this great struggle as it became a fight of right and wrong, a fight of justice against injustice, a fight to preserve a fledgling country and the people believed in that fight. In the one hundred and fifty plus years since the Civil War ended, the United States has (rightly or wrongly) been involved with many armed conflict all over the world. Courageous people from walks of life have answered the call to perform a duty that so many of us are in debt to…and whether you believe in the policy of armed conflict or not, the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way deserve our remembrance with honor and reverence.
Memorial Day is more than just the symbolic kick-off of the summer’s festivities or the ear mark as the end of another school year, it is a day of remembrance to those who have given everything in the call of duty. Memorial Day is a time of family or friend’s gatherings to grill something to perfection and wash it down with a beverage of choice. For some it is visiting a loved one’s headstone and leaving behind flowers, tears and fond memories. How every you celebrate this Memorial Day, take time and remember the sacrifice of those who have gone before…celebrate their memory and honor them by thinking about what those men and women laid down their life for. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable long weekend, take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com