Why Memorial Day?

Today was originally known as “Decoration Day” in reference to the adornments of flowers and flags strewn over graves of the loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our country.

Memorial Day is said to have started in the late 1800s honoring causalities from the Civil War. The origins of where the holiday geographically originally is a debatable topic among about a half dozen cities that claim to be the birthplace of its observation. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation declaring Waterloo, New York the birthplace in 1966. No matter its birthplace, Memorial Day serves as a grim reminder of the harsh reality of war for many families and individuals nationwide.

There are countless numbers of memorials dedicated to those lost in war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is one of the most well-known; it consists of over 58,000 names of servicemen and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War inscribed on its black granite wall.

The Tomb of the Unknown Solider rests in Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac from D.C.  On March 4, 1921 Congress approved the body an unknown American solider from World War 1 be buried there in a white marbled sarcophagus. The back of the tomb reads “Here rests in honored glory an American solider known but to God.”  West of the tomb are the crypts of an unknown soldier from World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Goodfellow Air Force Base has a memorial dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives abroad the U.S. Navy intelligence ship, the USS Liberty in 1967.  The dedication marker reads: "This park and the original brass ship's plate was dedicated in the honor and memory of the 34 brave American sailors who gave their lives in June 1967 defending the American intelligence ship, USS Liberty, against a sustained air and sea attack launched over international waters by the armed forces of Israel. 17 October 2003."

Col. Michael Grunwald Jr., Commander of the 17th Training Group at Goodfellow Air Force Base will be the guest speaker at Ft. Concho’s Memorial Day  ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. this morning in front of the Headquarters Building at the east end of the parade ground. 

The Fort Concho Living History Program and the Sons of the Confederate Veterans will serve as the color guard and artillery salute. The free event was organized by the Pocahontas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.