The day was created to honor those soldiers who died in The civil war, the greatest loss of life in any war in our history. The number of soldiers that died from 1861 to 1865 is estimated to be 620,000. That is a larger number than all who died in the revolutionary war, the war of 1812, the Mexican war, the Spanish American war, world war 1, world war 2 and the Korean war combined.
Memorial Day was originally Decoration day. Decoration day was established in 1868 to decorate soldier’s graves with flowers in honor of those lost in war. Memorial day became a federal holiday in 1971. It has always bothered me that while our government employees take a holiday, soldiers, sailors, marines and air force, never get the holiday. It’s the same for veteran’s day, also thanksgiving, christmas, easter and july fourth. Out at sea there are no holidays; every day is a work day. Even ashore, sailors work on all the holidays. There are meals to prepare, watches to stand, trash to haul, floors to be swept.
I remember one veterans day memorial service atop Point Loma, California. I had to take a vacation day from Burroughs corporation. There is no place I have ever seen that matched the spectacular views from Point Loma, overlooking San Diego bay and the Pacific ocean.
My Father, my uncle Kenny, Joyce’s Father and her uncle William fought in world war 2, all are long gone now. Joyce’s cousin Jim served in the air force. I served for 11 years in the navy, much of my time in the combat zone, during Vietnam. My nephew Patrick fought in Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan. Once I am gone, Patrick will follow many years later and that will be the end of our family's service to this wonderful country of ours.
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