Unfurl the flags, O Michigan! First of all states to remember,
To mark the day of those who’ve gone, in the glow of late May’s ember.
From Decoration to Memorial, the name, it has evolved,
Yet the essence of its purpose, in our hearts remains resolved.
Once upon the thirtieth day, now the last Monday we find,
The calendar bows to the rhythm of the nation, the rhythm of mankind.
In the pleasant early summer, when the air is warm and light,
We pause to remember those who gave their all in the fight.
O Captain! my Captain! their fearless spirits call,
Through the graveyards, through the parades, through the silence that befalls.
We honor them, the brave and true, who served the Stars and Stripes,
From every corner of this land, from every tribe and type.
Under the wide and starry sky, they sleep the eternal sleep,
The crimson poppies, the wreaths we lay, the promises we keep.
To the soldiers, the sailors, the airmen, the marines,
To every soul lost in service, to what freedom truly means.
Not for themselves, but for us, they gave their final breath,
In the land of the free, the home of the brave, they met their noble death.
Now, in the rustle of the flag, in the roll of the mournful drums,
We find the echo of their courage, and the beat of freedom hums.
This day, we remember, in the heart of spring’s sweet bloom,
Those who lie in Flanders Fields, in the silence of the tomb.
So, let us gather, and let us bow our heads in silent prayer,
For those who sacrificed their all, for the country they did bear.
O Michigan! O America! Forever in our heart,
The meaning of Memorial Day, a promise to impart.
To honor those who’ve fallen, to remember each brave face,
And the sacred oath they kept, when they stood in freedom’s place.
By: Greg McNeilly
NOTES:
MEMORIAL DAY (1871)
Memorial Day, previously Decoration Day, is an American holiday commemorating the men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the U.S. military.
The holiday's origins are somewhat disputed, with numerous U.S. cities and towns claiming to have established it. However, in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson officially recognized Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day.
The inception of the holiday traces back to the Civil War era. The first large-scale event recognized as a precursor to Memorial Day occurred on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina, when a group of freed slaves organized a parade to honor the Union soldiers who had perished in a Confederate prison camp.
The first widely acknowledged Decoration Day was held on May 30, 1868, when flowers were laid on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization for Union Civil War veterans, is often attributed to promoting the idea of a national holiday.
Initially, Memorial Day honored those who fell in the Civil War. However, after World War I, the holiday's scope was broadened to honor Americans who died fighting in all wars.
The holiday was observed on May 30 until 1971, irrespective of the day of the week. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend for federal employees.
Typical Memorial Day observances include visiting cemeteries and memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in parades. The National Moment of Remembrance Act, enacted in 2000, encourages all Americans to pause for a moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time. It's common to see American flags at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day, a practice meant to symbolize the nation's remembrance of those who gave their lives for their country.