LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - MAY 24, 2020 by Lynne Belluscio Memorial Day will be different this year. The traditional Memorial Day parade has been canceled. Large picnics and gatherings are scaled back to insure social distancing. It’s too early to plant your garden and the Indianapolis 500 has been postponed until August. The story of Memorial Day has its origins with the Civil War. In several towns, in the North and the South, people gathered in cemeteries to decorate the graves of the Civil War soldiers. There are at least 30 different communities who claim to be the first to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. Nearby Waterloo, N.Y. is one of those communities, but was officially recognized in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson as the “Birthplace of Memorial Day.” It is generally accepted that on May 5, 1868, General John Logan, the commander of the Grand Army of the Republic issued a proclamation designating May 30 as a national day to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. It was known as “Decoration Day” and would remain Decoration Day until it was officially changed in 1967 to Memorial Day. In 1887, Decoration Day became a legal holiday for all government employees. In 1901, Congress declared that if Decoration Day fell on a Sunday, it would be moved to Monday. The end of May was a great time for Memorial Day. The flowers were out, so there would be flowers to gather for the graves. The weather was usually warm by then, so it was safe to plant flowers and vegetables. In fact, seed packets would often include, “do not plant until after Memorial Day, when danger of frost has passed.” Well, since 1971, when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was officially adopted, Memorial Day can fall as late as May 31, or as early as May 25, like this year. That week makes a big difference. And although it looks like warm weather will be with us from May 25 until May 31 this year, it has been a cool spring so far, and it may be too early to plant those Keeney Beans, or put out the petunias and geraniums in the cemetery pots. As for the Indy 500. The first 500 lap race to be run at the Indianapolis racetrack was held on Memorial Day, May 30, 1911. The old Civil War Veterans, members of the Grand Army of the Republic, didn’t like the race being run on Decoration Day. In 1913, they placed a formal objection. But the race was still held on May 30. The state of Indiana, in 1923, sided with the GAR and decided to have the race moved to another date, but the World War I veterans in the newly formed American Legion, said they thought it was a good idea to have the race on Decoration Day, so the decision of Indiana was overturned and the race was held on May 30. So, Memorial Day will be a little different this year. But the flags in both St. Francis and Machpelah Cemeteries will be in place, on all graves of veterans, not just those who have fallen in battle. This year there will be no speeches on Trigon Park, but next year, we will be there to make up for what we lost this year and we will savor the precious freedom that allows us to gather in remembrance. We will plant our gardens, with seeds and flowers, knowing that in a few months, there will be a harvest and a beauty to enjoy. Sometimes we have to lose things before we can really appreciate them. On May5, 1868,General John A. Logan issued a proclamation calling for "Decoration Day" to be observed annually and nationwide; he was commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), an organization of and for Union Civil War veterans founded in Decatur, Illinois. For those of us who abide by the “don’t plant until after Memorial Day” rule, this year is a challenge, for typically, we will have a couple of cold nights into the last week of May. Obviously, it wasn’t a problem when Memorial Day was always on May 30. For those of us who will be putting in plants at the cemeteries in time for Memorial Day, it is even a harder decision. We have to risk the expense of having plants hit by frost, or wait until after Memorial Day. Right now, the long range forecast is looking good, but with nearly 100 pots to plant before Monday, we may not be able to put them in before Monday. I discovered some other i n t e r e s t i n g history about Memorial Day. Apparently, what was to become known as the Indianapolis 500, which began in 1909, was always Memorial Day weekend. In 1911, the Civil War soldiers who were members of the Grand Army of the Republic, objected to the race being held on Decoration Day, but eventually they changed their minds (actually it’s probably because most of them had died) and the famous car race prevailed - - - until this year, when it is scheduled to be held in August. It is also interesting to note that Benjamin Harrison felt that it wasn’t right to have flags fly at half-mast. He wrote: “I have rather felt that the flag should be at its peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did.” This year will be different for many of us. There will be no presentation at the monuments on Trigon Park. There will be no parade. No baseball games. There will be no big get togethers with families and friends. And we are not certain what the coming summer will bring, but for a brief moment, sometime this weekend, take the time to remember, in your own way, those who have fought and those who are serving now. Memorial Day