[Rhodes22-list] Memorial Day Origins - Thank You R-22 Veterans

[brad haslett]

Bill,

How far back in history do you want to go?  One
argument is that the tradition of Memorial Day dates
back 2500 years when Greek communities set aside a day
to honor local heros.  The tradition in this country
traces its history to shortly after the Civil War. 
Several communities claim to be the "first" and LBJ
officially designated Waterloo, NY as the birthplace. 
Substantial evidence indicates that it was in 1866
when some women from Columbus, Mississippi traveled to
Shilo to decorate the graves of fallen Confederate
soldiers.  I go with that one.

Why don't you come visit me Bill.  Shilo is five
minutes from the "CoraShen".  My family will go there
tomorrow as we do on every Memorial Day weekend.  You
and I can walk down to the river and stand on the spot
where young boys from Iowa, having been issued guns
only an hour before on their steamship, rushed to the
"Hornets Nest" for their final resting place.  From
there we can drive to Franklin, TN and stand on
Winstead hill and look over the plain where John Bell
Hood sent over 1700 of his troops to their deaths in
less than four hours, one of the bloodiest battles in
American History.  We can have lunch on the grounds of
the Carter House where a young kid from Wisconsin,
named MacArthur was making coffee when the morning
silence was broken by cannon shot.  MacArthur
distinguished himself that day and later fathered a
famous son who did the same in WW2.  Then we can drive
to Nashville and follow the retreat of a dying army in
a lost cause.  The list goes on and on.  

Many of these soldiers we honor from that period were
new immigrants who didn't speak English.  They left
their homes in Europe to escape oppression and pursue
their dreams in America, same as immigrants, legal and
otherwise do now.  Like all soldiers in our history,
they believed in something bigger than themselves,
even if it was just to be a part of small unit and
protect their fellow brothers in arms.

Soldiers in our country don't make policy, civilian
leaders do.  They should not be judged by the wisdom
of the fight, the choice is not theirs to make.  I'll
leave this subject with the words of another man who
started his political career nine miles from my
hometown in Illinois.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can
not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground.
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here,
have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add
or detract. The world will little note, nor long
remember what we say here, but it can never forget
what they did here. It is for us the living, rather,
to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they
who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is
rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task
remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we
take increased devotion to that cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here
highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in
vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new
birth of freedom -- and that government of the people,
by the people, for the people, shall not perish from
the earth. 

A Lincoln

Brad Haslett
"CoraShen"






--- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
> How many people on this list under the age of 40
> know what Memorial Day 
> originally memorialized without looking it up?
> 
> How many under 50?
> 
> How many under 60?
> 
> I would expect some of those over 60 to know the
> answer without peeking.
> 
> If you don't know, look it up.  Most of you will be
> quite surprised.
> 
> Bill Effros
> 
> brad haslett wrote:
> 
> >"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of
> things.
> >The decayed and degraded state of moral and
> patriotic
> >feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is
> much
> >worse. The person who has nothing for which he is
> >willing to fight, nothing which is more important
> than
> >his own personal safety, is a miserable creature
> and
> >has no chance of being free unless made and kept so
> by
> >the exertions of better men than himself." 
> >
> >
> >- John Stuart Mill
> >
> >
> >
> >Thank you Lt. Col. Esteban and all the other
> veterans
> >on the Rhodes 22 list.  Enjoy this weekend!  I'll
> >raise a glass to your service on the "CoraShen"
> today
> >in your honor.
> >
> >Brad
> >
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> >  
> >
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