How to Observe Memorial Day

This weekend we will be celebrating and honoring our veterans and fallen heroes in church. We sing Christian songs and invite veterans in our community to stand up for recognition. We may even go to a local parade. Some other ideas to observe Memorial Day include the following:

- Visit cemeteries and place flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.

- Visit memorials.

- Fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.

- Fly the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well.

- Participate in the “National Moment of Remembrance” at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.

- Renew a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

“…gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime….let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude,–the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.” –General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

For further reflection, here is a Memorial Day tribute called American Medley from GodTube.com.

For additional ideas visit Military Moms. She recounts a few of her Memorial Day holidays including:

We’ve also visited the Florence American Military Cemetery in Italy; my great-uncle is buried there, and we took flowers to leave on his grave for Memorial Day in 2004.

Have you made plans for Memorial Day related to honoring relatives or our current military? What ways do you think you support the military during this holiday set aside for our heroes?