Dallas College Student Blog: Dallas College's Memorial Day Message

Press release from Dallas College Student Blog:

May 26, 2021

By Philip Hoy and Skip Ragler

“Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay, but we can honor their sacrifice.” ~ President Barack Obama

In addition to kicking off the summer, set aside time to remember our fallen patriots for their sacrifices this Memorial Day. Because of them, our nation is stronger, safer and remains a shining beacon of freedom for the world.

For most of us, Memorial Day is just another three-day weekend. But its initial purpose was not for cookouts and parades. This year, our Memorial Day Message encompasses a historical perspective to better understand Memorial Day’s meaning.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, started after the American Civil War to honor both Union and Confederate Soldiers who died while serving in the armed forces. Although there was no official day of recognition, women from both sides decorated the graves of fallen soldiers before the war ended.

Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, numerous ceremonies were held to honor fallen soldiers. After the official designation of Decoration Day on May 30, 1868, ceremonies were held at hundreds of cemeteries across the United States. In 1968, Decoration Day was officially changed to Memorial Day, and in 1971 it was moved to the last Monday in May, resulting in a three-day weekend.

Our fallen soldiers have been honored in different ways since Memorial Day’s inception:

This press release was produced by Dallas College Student Blog. The views expressed here are the author’s own.