Memorial Day Fun Facts

So today is great! I hope everyone has and will continue enjoy good times with their families, outdoors, and with friends celebrating this memorial day 2010! My family went to an assisted living facility in town to support my brothers and dad in the boy scout troop as they presented the colors and let the group in the pledge of allegiance and national anthem. We also sang the songs for each branch of the military ...way cool actually. Im such a nerd. My favorite was the army...but then again I am a tad biased hehe :) Go daddykins!! but the next best was the airforce which used to be called the army air corps or something like that. After that we came home and went to the pool for the neighborhood party! I am little browner for it. Needless to say we are chillin for the rest of the night momsy even made flan and we are going to hook up the computer to the tv to watch UP! that movie is so cute. Kinda sad but cute! Look its a kevin!! hehehehehe

I am such a super nerd and I wanted to know a little more about this holiday I have celebrated 21 times now and only knew it was a great excuse to party and support our troops. Well here is a little quiz for you...no cheating! hahaha cheating would be too easy. haha.

QUESTIONS

1) When was the first Memorial Day celebrated?



2) Why is Memorial Day celebrated on the 30th?


3) Who started the tradition of wearing red poppies? (and yes when I was little we did that...my parents are like me and love history and stuff like that)

4)Ok what about the flag? How long is it supposed to be half staff for today?


5)What was this holiday first called and why?


6) What is up with the good ole south? What is their relevance and issue with Memorial Day?


7) What song do you listen to and at what time? (If celebrating formally?)


8) Who said this good quote "For love of country they accepted death" ?

9) Who wrote the song lyrics " And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died,who gave that right to me" ?

10) How are you going to celebrate??







The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, one of my favorite places to visit in DC! They actually added 6 names recently...Finding and celebrating the sacrifice of others...always good :)


ANSWERS!!! *****

1) Memorial day was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. It was observed by placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers during the first national celebration. Gen. James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which around 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.

2) Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. This date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

3) In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem.
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then came up with an idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.

4) On Memorial Day, the flag should be at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff.

5) Memorial Day was first called “Decoration Day” because of the practice of decorating soldier’s graves with flowers.

6) The south refused to honor the dead on Memorial Day until after World War I when the meaning of Memorial Day changed from honoring civil war dead to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

7) At 3pm. Americans should take a moment of silence and then play the most common memorial day service song "Taps".

8) James A. Garfield

9) Lee Greenwood

10) however you want to!!! Get out there and go do something to celebrate life and the wonderful opportunity we have to live here and be with our families and friends today.



I am trying to be like Jesus and I'm struggling everyday,

Patience