Memorial Day

Memorial Day

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SPEAKER_04 0:00

Hello Brentwood and welcome to a special Brentwood Joe's Town Hall podcast. Today, as we approach Memorial Day, I want to take a step back from our usual town business and board meeting coverage to talk about something deeply personal, profoundly important, and often misunderstood.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

The neighbors last beautiful vibe.

SPEAKER_04 2:07

This isn't going to be a dry history lesson. This is going to be a conversation. Me talking to you, neighbor to neighbor, about the men and women who gave everything so that we could have everything. The people who never came home, the families who still set a place at the table for someone who will never sit there again. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let me tell you a story. It's a story about sacrifice, memory, and what we owe to those who came before us. Memorial Day didn't start in Congress or in a presidential proclamation. It started in the hearts of grieving Americans who couldn't bear to let their loved ones be forgotten. It was 1865. The Civil War had just ended. More than 620,000 Americans were dead, more than all other American wars combined up to that point. Think about that number. 620,000. In a country of only 31 million people, that would be like losing over 6 million Americans today. Every town, every village, every community had lost someone. Fathers, sons, brothers, husbands. The nation was drowning in grief. And in that grief, something beautiful began to happen. In towns across the South and the North, people started visiting the graves of fallen soldiers. They brought flowers, they cleaned the headstones, they told stories. They refused to let these men be forgotten. One of the earliest organized commemorations happened in Charleston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865. Formerly enslaved people, along with Union soldiers and missionaries, organized a ceremony at a Confederate prison camp where Union soldiers had died. They gave these men a proper burial, built a fence around the cemetery, and held a parade of over 10,000 people, most of them duly freed black Americans, to honor these soldiers who had died fighting for their freedom. People who had just gained their own freedom took the time to honor those who had died in the struggle to free them. That's the spirit of Memorial Day. In Waterloo, New York, on May 5, 1866, the entire town shut down to honor fallen soldiers. Businesses closed, flags flew at half-staffed, people decorated graves with flowers and wreaths. This became an annual tradition. And in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson officially recognized Waterloo as the birthplace of Memorial Day. But the tradition was spreading everywhere. In Bullsburg, Pennsylvania, women decorated soldiers' graves in October 1864. In Columbus, Mississippi, women decorated both Union and Confederate graves in April 1866, refusing to let political divisions prevent them from honoring the dead. On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, the Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union veterans organization, issued General Order No. 11. It designated May 30th as a day for strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country. Why May 30th? Because it wasn't the anniversary of any particular battle. Flowers would be in bloom across the entire country. It was a day chosen specifically so that all Americans, North and South, could participate together. Their first official decoration day, as it was called, was observed at Arlington National Cemetery. General James Garfield, who would later become president, gave a speech to a crowd of about 5,000 people. They decorated the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. General Garfield said something that day that still resonates. We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke. But we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue. For decades this day was known as Decoration Day. It was primarily a day to honor those who died in the Civil War, but as America fought more wars, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, the meaning expanded. After World War I, Decoration Day evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, not just the Civil War. The name gradually changed to Memorial Day, though both names were used interchangeably for many years. Memorial Day wasn't a federal holiday until 1971. For over a century it was observed on May 30th, regardless of what day of the week that fell on. But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved several holidays to Mondays to create three-day weekends for federal employees. Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday in May, and in 1971 it officially became a federal holiday. Some veterans organizations opposed this change. They felt it shifted the focus from remembrance to recreation, from honoring the dead to enjoying a long weekend. And if we're honest with ourselves, they had a point. How many of us think of Memorial Day primarily as the unofficial start of summer? The day for barbecues and beach trips and mattress sales? How many of us pause even for a moment to remember why we have this day off? Memorial Day is not Veterans Day. Veterans Day, celebrated on November 11th, honors all who have served in the military, living and dead. It's a day to thank veterans for their service. Memorial Day is specifically for those who died while serving. It's not a day to thank veterans, though we should do that every day. It's a day to remember and mourn those who never came home. It's the difference between honoring service and mourning sacrifice. When you see a veteran on Memorial Day, don't thank them for their service, though that's always appreciated. Instead, acknowledge the friends they lost, the brothers and sisters in arms who didn't make it home. Because I promise you, every veteran carries those names with them. Over the years, Memorial Day has developed traditions that help us remember. There's the National Moment of Remembrance, established in 2000, which asks all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. There's the tradition of wearing red poppies inspired by the World War I poem in Flanders Fields by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. The poem begins in Flanders Fields, the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row. The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance for those who died in war. There's the tradition of flying the American flag at half staff from dawn until noon, then raising it to full staff from noon to sunset. The flag is at half staff to remember those who gave their lives for our country, then raise the full staff to symbolize our resolve to carry on in their honor. There's the tradition of placing flags and flowers on graves at national cemeteries. At Arlington National Cemetery, soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, place small American flags at each of the more than 400,000 graves. It takes them about three hours and they do it with precision and reverence. There's the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally in Washington, D.C., where thousands of motorcyclists ride to raise awareness about prisoners of war and those missing in action. The sound of those motorcycles, that rolling thunder, is a reminder that we will never forget. And there are the ceremonies in small towns across America, towns like Brentwood, where communities gather at monuments and cemeteries to read names, lay wreaths, play taps, and remember. It's easy to talk about numbers. 620,000 in the Civil War, 116,516 in World War I, 405,399 in World War II, 36,574 in Korea, 58,220 in Vietnam, 2,461 in Afghanistan, 4,431 in Iraq. But these aren't just numbers, these are people. They're the Marine who did three tours in Iraq and was killed by an IED on his fourth. The pilot who flew missions over Afghanistan and never made it home. Every single one of them had a name, a family, dreams, a future that was stolen from them. I think about the families left behind, the parents who got that knock on the door, the spouses who became widows and widowers far too young. The children who grew up without a parent, the siblings who lost their best friend. Gold Star families, that's what we call them, families who have lost a loved one in military service. They carry a burden that most of us can't imagine. Every holiday, every birthday, every milestone is marked by absence. Memorial Day isn't just about the fallen, it's about everyone they left behind. There's a phrase we hear a lot, freedom isn't free. It's become almost a cliche, something we say without really thinking about what it means. But it's true, freedom has a cost, and that cost is measured in lives. Every right we enjoy, the right to vote, to speak freely, to worship as we choose, to gather peacefully, to live without fear of tyranny, was secured by people who were willing to die for it. When we argue about politics, when we complain about our government, when we exercise our right to protest or criticize or demand better, we're doing exactly what these men and women died to protect. They didn't die so we would all agree. They died so we could disagree freely. That's what makes Memorial Day so important. It reminds us that our freedom, our ability to live as we choose, to pursue our dreams, to raise our families in peace, came at an enormous cost. And it reminds us that we have a responsibility to be worthy of that sacrifice. Here in Brentwood, we have our own connection to this history, we have our own veterans, our own fallen heroes, our own families who have sacrificed. Walk through any cemetery in town and you'll see the markers. These aren't just names on stones, these are our neighbors, our ancestors, the people who built this town and defended this nation. We are all in this together. That's not just a phrase I use, it's the truth. We're connected to each other and to those who came before us. Their sacrifice is part of our story. When we gather on Memorial Day, whether at a monument, at the cemetery, or in our own homes, we're participating in a tradition that goes back over 150 years. We're saying we remember, we honor, we will not forget. So what do we owe to those who gave everything? We owe them our remembrance. We owe them the simple act of pausing, of thinking about them, of saying their names. Memory is powerful. As long as we remember them, they're not truly gone. We owe them our gratitude, not just on Memorial Day, but every day. Every time we vote, every time we speak our minds, every time we live freely, we should remember that someone died to make that possible. We owe them our commitment to the ideals they fought for. They didn't die for a political party or a particular policy. They died for the idea of America. The idea that all people are created equal, that we have certain unalienable rights, that government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people. When we let partisan politics divide us, when we demonize our neighbors for disagreeing with us, when we forget that we're all Americans first, we dishonor their sacrifice. We owe them our care for those they left behind. Gold Star families need our support, not just on Memorial Day, but all year long. Veterans who served alongside the fallen need our support. Organizations that help military families need our support. We owe them our commitment to peace. That might sound contradictory, honoring those who died in the war by working for peace. But I don't think it is. I think the best way to honor those who died in war is to work to ensure that future generations don't have to. That doesn't mean we should be naive about threats or weak in the face of aggression. It means we should be thoughtful about when and how we use military force. It means we should exhaust every other option before we send young men and women into harm's way. It means we should remember that every soldier who dies is someone's child, someone's parent, someone's friend. Like many of you, I know people who served, I know people who came home changed, I know people who didn't come home at all. Every memorial day I think about them. I think about the conversations we had, the dreams they shared, the futures they planned. I think about what they would be doing now if they had lived. Would they be married? Have kids, grandkids? What would they think about the world today? And I think about the families, the mothers who still cry, the fathers who still visit graves, the children who only know their parent through photographs and stories. This isn't abstract, it's not just history of tradition. It's personal, it's real, it's painful. And I think that's how it should be. Memorial Day should hurt a little, it should make us uncomfortable, it should remind us that freedom has a cost, and that cost is borne by real people with real families who feel real pain. If we're not feeling something on Memorial Day, if it's just another day off, just another barbecue, just another sale, then we're missing the point. So how should we observe Memorial Day? What can we do to truly honor those who gave everything? Visit a cemetery, find the graves of veterans, place flags or flowers, read the names. Think about their lives. Many cemeteries hold Memorial Day ceremonies. Attend one if you can. Observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. Stop what you're doing, stand, be silent for one minute. Think about those who died in service to our country. Fly the flag correctly. If you have a flag, fly it at a half staff from dawn until noon. Then raise it to full staff from noon until sunset. Attend a memorial day ceremony. Most towns have them. Go bring your family. Teach your children what this day means. Support Gold Star families and veterans organizations. Donate to organizations that help military families, volunteer your time, show up. Learn the stories. Research the veterans from your town. Read about the wars they fought in. Understand the history, share it with others. Teach your children. Don't let Memorial Day become just another day off for the next generation. Teach them what it means. Take them to ceremonies, show them how to honor the fallen. Be worthy of the sacrifice. Live your life in a way that honors those who died for your freedom. Be a good citizen, participate in your community, vote, speak up for what's right, treat others with respect, and remember that we're all on this together. There's a quote often attributed to George Orwell. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Whether Orwell actually said it or not, the sentiment is true. We live in peace because others are willing to fight. We sleep safely because others stand watch. We enjoy freedom because others are willing to die for it. That's what sacrifice means. It means putting others before yourself. It means being willing to give up everything, your comfort, your safety, your future, your life so that others can have what you'll never experience. The men and women we honor on Memorial Day made that sacrifice. They gave up their tomorrows so we could have ours. That's not just noble. That's not just heroic. That's sacred. And we have a sacred obligation to remember them. As we approach Memorial Day, I want to challenge all of us, myself included, to do better. Let's not let this day become just another long weekend. Let's not let it become just about sales and barbecues and the start of summer. Let's make it what it was always meant to be, a day of remembrance, a day of gratitude, a day of solemn reflection on the cost of our freedom. Let's attend ceremonies, let's visit cemeteries, let's observe the moment of silence, let's fly our flags, let's teach our children, let's support gold star families, let's honor the fallen, not just with our words, but with our actions. They gave everything. The least we can do is remember. I want to close this with a poem that's often read at Memorial Day ceremonies. It's called In Flanders Fields, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae during World War One. 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 fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe, to you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high. That's our responsibility. To take the torch, to hold it high, to carry on the work they started, to preserve the freedom they died for, to build the country they dreamed of. We can't bring them back, we can't undo their sacrifice, but we can honor it, we can remember it, we can live in a way that makes their sacrifice meaningful. This Memorial Day, let's do that. Let's remember, let's honor, let's be worthy. To all those who gave Everything we remember you. We are you. We will never forget you. Thank you for listening to this special episode of Brownwood Joe's Town Hall Podcast. Please have a meaningful memorial day, Bradwood.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

They were brothers and daughters. They crossed the lonely miles in the deep dark waters. They missed every birthday, the weddings and the crates. Now there's a folded flag standing in their place. In the hush of the afternoon, the ache in the air. They paid for our freedom with the dreams they gave away. So we honor the sacrifice. Memorial day. The day we remember The embers of a fire from a long lost December They walked into the shadow So we could live in life. They gave up death tomorrow To in the nation's fight They didn't come home, but they left us the dog to carry their love Now that they're gone, yeah, this grief is token of love that we keep For the brave souls resting in their final quiet sleep When the world gets loud and the days move fast, we pause to look back, ghosts of the past It's not just a holiday, it's a solemn holy plea To never forget Who died to make us free We whisper their names To the wind in the sky So the courage will live And the spirit won't die So hold the love close Lase In every empty chair In every quiet space It didn't come home But they're always here in the heart of the nation Year after year Memorial Day We remember We remember