Memorial Day, originally established in 1868 as Decoration Day by the Grand Army of the Republic as a day to decorate the graves of Union war dead, today honors the memory of all those who lost their lives while serving in the military.
Decoration Day, c1910
Image: Part of my own postcard collection
Fly your flag today and take part in community observances.
Remember, too, those currently serving in the U.S. military and support Operation Gratitude, which sends care packages to active service members. It is a fantastic non-profit organization that has mailed almost 1.5 million packages to deployed personnel since 2003. It is based in southern California, so if you don’t live close enough to volunteer in person, make a donation of goods or money. Your efforts will be appreciated.
Thank you for telling us about Operation Gratitude. I know some of the local businesses send things to the military periodically and we can participate that way, but I didn’t know about the organization you mentioned.