Von-T

As a veteran, and a member of the 1% who made that choice, Memorial Day's true meaning is a solemn day of remembrance and honor for the U.S. military personnel who gave the ultimate sacrifice while defending our constitution.

As we all take a moment of silence, let's remember its origins. The Civil War was the deadliest conflict in U.S. history where we lost roughly 620,000 soldiers due to internal conflict. Communities across the country began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers and what gave its original name Decoration Day.

This also included one in 1865 by freed Black residents in Charleston, South Carolina, who reburied and honored Union soldiers at a former Confederate prison site.

In 1868, General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic issued a national proclamation for May 30 as Decoration Day, calling for graves to be decorated "with the choicest flowers of springtime" to honor those who passed away. The first major national event was at Arlington National Cemetery, where thousands decorated over 20,000 graves.

It was initially focused on Civil War casualties of both Union and Confederate in some places, symbolizing reconciliation. After World War I, it expanded to honor all American service members who passed away in any war. The name officially shifted to Memorial Day, and in 1971 it became a federal holiday on the last Monday in May! Let us come together today to remember those lost and how they fought and died so we ALL can enjoy our country and not let greed and racism take us back to a chapter we already completed. 🇺🇲🤞🏾