It is embarrassingly easy for many of us to forget that our
nation is currently fighting two wars. We may â€œknowâ€ it, but
it is all too easy to forget about the loss of life and limb
that occurs virtually every day in defense of our nation. It is
embarrassingly easy to forget about the countless drops of
blood, sweat and tears that have been shed through the
generations by the very best of us, on behalf of the rest of us.
It is embarrassingly easy to look at Memorial Day as simply a
day off work; a time to have a picnic or barbecue with family
and friends; a day to spend relaxing. A day of remembrance was
first officially proclaimed in May 1868 by General John Logan,
commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General
Order No. 11. It was first observed on May 30, 1868. â€œThe 30th
day 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 ev