Memorial Day – A Time of Remembrance

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

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Memorial Day didn’t originate as a family time of picnics, parades, and good times. I wanted to share with you a snippet of history and provide a few ideas how you and your loved ones can commemorate the day.

The remembrance of those who’d died in service for the United States grew out of the Civil War devastation. The day of honor was called Declaration Day. I found the following in a few sources:

General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

You can read more about the observance here:

http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history  – Includes video.
https://academized.com/blog/memorial-day-history

In 1971, Congress declared May 31 as Memorial Day, a national holiday. I grew up with the day referred to as Declaration Day, and many still use the same name.

So what can we do in 2016 to honor those who’ve served our country? Here are 10 ideas.

1. Take time to share with your children and grandchildren the history of Memorial Day. Perhaps they can create cards for those who have served or are serving our country.
2. Gather photographs of those in your family who served in the military or have died in battle.
3. Display the American flag proudly.
4. Discuss our country’s freedoms and the sacrifices made to ensure our liberties.
5. Attend a parade. Wave your flag!
6. Visit a memorial.
7. Parties and barbecues are a means of saying, “Thank you.” Observe a moment of silence. Many do this at 3:00 p.m. local time.
8. Invite a military family for dinner.
9. Sing patriotic songs!
10. Participate in your community’s festivities.Courtesy of:

The image on the right (courtesy of Folk Art From the Harbor) was designed by a woman in loving memory of her Dad. He was killed in Iraq on Mothers Day 2009. Her dad, Major Steven Hutchison, was the oldest active duty soldier of all 4 Military branches to die in the War of Iraq and Afghanistan. He was 60 years old when he was killed by a roadside bomb

No matter how you plan to spend the day, take a moment to remember the men and women who’ve sacrificed for our freedom

How have you enjoyed Memorial Day in the past?

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DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. 

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; International Thriller Writers, and the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is co-director of The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. 

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. 

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.jhcdev.com/diannmills.