Honoring Oceanside's Fallen Heroes For Memorial Day

OCEANSIDE, CA — On Memorial Day, we remember and pay tribute to every service member who has made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Oceanside is steeped in military history with a deep respect for the countless troops that have passed through our city.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was officially proclaimed in 1868 to honor Union and Confederate soldiers and was expanded after World War I to honor those who died in all wars. It became an official federal holiday in 1971, known as Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day. Today, Memorial Day honors over 1 million men and women who have died in military service since the Civil War began in 1861.

In the years following the Civil War, communities would get together for Decoration Day. In the late 1860s most cities and towns had their own version of a spring time gathering to honor the countless fallen. Families would decorate the grave sites of their relatives and friends. Families that hadn’t talked since the war began, spoke to each other as if they just saw them yesterday. They all remembered the sacrifices and hardships that each of their families had gone through. Even if it was just for a day.

One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Formerly Enslaved People

Looking for ways to observe Memorial Day? A good starting point is the USO's '10 Ways to Honor the Fallen Outdoors and at Home on Memorial Day 2021'

Sources:

*Abraham Lincoln – The Gettysburg Address

History of Memorial Day