What is Memorial Day?

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

Every year when Memorial Day comes around it is amazing to see how many people do not truly understand the significance of the day. Most commonly they seem to think it is the time to thank all veterans and/or those currently serving in the military. In fact, it is a day to mourn and remember all the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces of our country.

That distinction made me wonder about whether my 3rd great-grandfather Andrew Hungler should be honored on Memorial Day? Andrew enlisted in the US Navy in August of 1864, where he served as quartermaster on the USS Milwaukee. The ship supported the Union forces during the Mobile Campaign as they attacked the Confederate fortifications defending the city of Mobile, Alabama in early 1865. On 28 March 1865 the Milwaukee struck a mine and later sank. All of her crew members were rescued by the USS Kickapoo.

However Andrew came home from the war later that year as a cripple. The cause was listed as rheumatism, which they said he contracted on the ship. There are extensive medical records of Civil War soldiers, and they show over 160,000 cases of acute rheumatism, and acute rheumatic fever was known to be the main cause. Heart damage from this disease is common, and indeed Andrew succumbed to heart failure in 1869. He had been bedridden from the time he came home from the war.

So my question is, on Memorial Day do we honor our military men and women who died as a result of their time in the service? It seems to me that we should as in Andrew's case he would not have gotten rheumatic fever had he not been on a ship during the war. But the answer is no - Memorial Day is only for those who died during their service. I'll honor his memory on Veteran's Day instead.

Remembering on Memorial Day

Memorial Day

It's always interesting to me that people don't seem to know what Memorial Day is all about. From decorating family members graves to barbecues, we often lose sight of the fact that the this day was set aside to honor U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. 

For the second year in a row our community chose to remember by having a parade, and I was proud to participate again. Led by residents on bicycles (the first of whom was a veteran), the decorated golf carts followed as the parade wove its way through the neighborhood. Patriotic music played, and residents lined up in their driveways to cheer us on. It was heart-warming to see all the flags on display, and to see the community come together. It was our chance to show that we understand that freedom is not free.

Memorial Day Parade

Memorial Day 2022

Taps for the fallen

Yesterday was Memorial Day, and it always fascinates me how many Americans do not understand the significance of the day. Known as the unofficial start of summer, it is typically celebrated with barbecues and family gatherings. In some families it has been called Decoration Day, as that is when they went to decorate the graves of deceased relatives. 

In fact, it is a day set aside to honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States military. It is not to be confused with Veteran's Day, which honors all those who served in the military.

Our community held its second annual Memorial Day golf cart parade yesterday. As you can imagine, the golf carts are all decked out in patriotic themes. Last year the parade was led by a group of bicyclists, but since then Phases 2 and 3 of the community have been built out. It is very hilly, and this year's route was nearly 6 miles long. The Lifestyle Director decided to invite the e-bike riders to lead the parade this year. Seven of us signed up, and most of us put at least a little decoration on our bikes. I believe there were 14 golf carts who participated in the decoration contest, plus 4 more that were on loan from Carolina Carts, one of our community sponsors.

Before the parade, we gave thanks to those who have kept our country free through their bravery. As we rode through the community, with patriotic music sounding from the golf courts, neighbors waited on their front lawns to wave and cheer us on. I'm proud to be an American, and happy to call Imagery home.

Memorial Day 2022

Memorial Day 2021

Memorial Day Jefferson Barracks Cemetery

It's always interesting each year to see how many people truly understand the meaning of Memorial Day in the United States. I see many posts with people thanking those who are currently in the military (that is Armed Forces Day), or expressing appreciation to our veterans (that is Veterans Day). 

But Memorial Day was established to pay tribute to those who died while serving in the military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War. It became an official federal holiday in 1971.

Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem, In Flanders Field by John McCrae.

The National Moment of Remembrance, which asks that Americans pause in silence to honor those who have died serving the U.S., takes place at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. Here in our community we have an opportunity to listen to Glenn Proctor, a former Marine, Pulitzer Prize winning author and motivational speaker. I suspect he will inspire us to be better Americans as we reflect on those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms.

Memorial Day Weekend 2018

It was a hot and humid weekend here in the Midwest. I guess that was a boon for the swimming pools, but it was hard on the rest of us. We did some work around the house on Saturday, and then Sunday morning Jim went out for a motorcycle ride. My friend picked me up at 7:00 in the morning, and we made the trek down to Eminence, Missouri to see if we could find the wild horses again. There are some new colts, including one that is only a couple weeks old.

Regular or Unleaded?

We did not find wild horses at either of the two fields we had visited in April, though we did see many domestic horses. Riders were everywhere, including at the gas station where we stopped to buy cold drinks and use the restroom. It is a big equestrian area of the state.

We came to the conclusion that we would not see any of the wild herds due to the heat and the fact that the area was teaming with tourists floating on the river. Determined to make the most of it, we photographed flowers, an old car, and other items that struck our fancy. We had lunch in town, and then tried to go to Rocky Falls Shut-In, where we could not get anywhere near the parking lot. It was packed!

Eminence, Missouri

We decided to head for home, and just as we rounded the curve at the entrance to Echo Bluff State Park, we spied part of the Echo Bluff horse herd. The two mares and the newest baby were munching on grass along the side of the road. We couldn't believe our eyes! We pulled over to take pictures, and those darn horses decided to stand in the middle of Highway 19 and eat who knows what off the pavement. We were so frightened that they were going to get hit as there are blind curves in both directions. My friend was waving at approaching vehicles to get them to slow down, and we stayed until the horses decided to stroll up the entrance of the park. Only then did we resume our trip back to St. Louis.

Eminence wild horses

Monday I met up with a few members of our female photography group at a local coffee shop. The gal who started our group moved to Las Vegas last fall, and she was back in town for a visit. Then later in the afternoon, Jim and I drove to Jefferson Barracks Cemetery to see all the flags that had been placed on the military graves by local Boy Scouts. It was an opportunity for us to pause in remembrance of those who died keeping America the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

Memorial Day Weekend

The weekend was quite busy, beginning on Friday when I took my niece to Barnes for a scheduled procedure which was reported to involve 3-4 hours of time. After being prepped, we hung out in her "room" for a couple of hours. Part of the time was spent in the dark (literally!) as the power went off in the hospital. It took an inordinate amount of time for the generators to kick on, and even then the computers did not come back up for a bit. We were happy that she wasn't on the table when all this occurred. The test went fine, but the bottom line may be that she will need to have surgery done in the not too distant future. As these things go, it took a lot longer than expected, and I did not get home until 5:30.

Cardinals tea light

That night a friend came over and we did some painting together. I had purchased a tea light cake candle last year that I wanted to decorate, and she had a canvas that she was working on. She has a lot of paint colors that I don't have, as well as numerous brushes. It was fun to paint and catch up.

Saturday I played catch up with all the things I did not accomplish on Friday, and Sunday I met up with a photographer friend at the Galleria. From there we went to University City to photograph "Mannequins on the Loop." Store mannequins were decorated in recycled materials by local artists and placed along Delmar. They are quite clever, and were fun to see. The Loop is filled with so many interesting buildings, storefronts and bicycle racks that it is easy to quickly pass time taking pictures. Sunday night I squeezed in a game of pickleball. Due to the holiday weekend, it was not at all crowded so I got lots of playing time in.

Jim & Kirby at Confluence Point

On Monday Jim and I set off with the dog to go to Ted Jones Confluence Point State Park, where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers meet. Boy, did technology fail us! The car GPS kept taking us down roads that were closed, and not temporarily due to flood waters or anything. We finally got to the back side of it by taking a day pass road in the Audubon Center at Riverlands. There weren't many people there - gee, I wonder why?

From there we visited the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center across the river, and then stopped at the Confluence Tower. Jim had not been to either of those two places, and I had gone last year because each of them had one of the stl250 birthday cakes.

Confluence Tower

The flags at National Great Rivers Research & Education Center were flying at half mast, reminding us that Memorial Day is about remembering those who gave up their lives so that we can live ours freely. God bless all the fallen soldiers!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day Weekend

Jefferson Barracks

Memorial Day has always been a bit confusing to me. My understanding is that the day was designated to honor those who died while serving in the United States military. Yet I know people who decorate all graves on this day. And I see all kinds of folks thanking those who serve or have served in the military. It is interesting that no one has come forward to set the record straight on the true purpose of Memorial Day. But whatever the rationale, I am grateful to all who have fought to secure and preserve the freedom we have here in our country.

We had a wedding to attend on Saturday. My friend's oldest daughter got married at our church. This is a young lady that I have camped with through Girl Scouts and have watched grow up. It is amazing to see these kids become young adults who are beginning their own new families. The wedding was beautiful and the rain did not dampen any one's enthusiasm.

Laura's wedding

On Sunday Jim and I drove over to Kansas City for a gathering of his family. We have not all been together since last Memorial Day, so it was wonderful to see everyone. It was a great trip, albeit a quick one as we came back home on Monday night. Hopefully we will all be able to get together again later this summer to celebrate my father-in-law's 85th birthday. That will be a fun time!