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Second Place Runner-Up in the High School Division winning a $500 US Savings Bond was…. Frank Cassity!
CONGRATULATIONS Frank! Read Frank’s prize winning essay below… Watch the You Tube video at: |
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Memorial Day, which was originally known as Decoration Day, was officially announced in 1866 on May 5th by General John Logan, who was national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was originally celebrated on May 30th and is a day of remembrance for those that fought valiantly and lost their lives for this country. On the first Decoration Day flowers were placed upon Union and Confederate soldiers graves in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. While the north quickly took acceptance to this holiday, the south would continue to celebrate memorial on a different day till World War I. While many places have claimed the of the birthplace of Memorial Day, Waterloo, New York was officially recognized by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, but it is believed that memorial originated from many places all over the country remembering those that had fallen in war. Yet all those strong emotions felt towards veterans who had passed had begun to fade away in recent years. When congress passed the National Holiday Act of 1971, they moved the date of Memorial Day to the last Monday of May so that definite three day weekend for federal holidays was made. Many have come to see less in Memorial Day and forget why it is celebrated. They care only about the extra day off of school or work that they get, while forgetting the hundreds of thousands that lost their lives so that they could maintain a lifestyle that contains the freedom, equality and peace that makes this country so great. “The National Remembrance Act” passed in December 2000 states; that at 3p.m. on Memorial Day of silence be given to honor those who died fighting for this country. Memorial Day has always been a holiday I respect. My family is very patriotic and will defend this country at a moment’s notice if someone bad-mouths this country in any shape or form. Memorial Day is a day to remember every hero who died fighting in a war for America and its freedom. Whether it was the civil war, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the Persian Gulf War, or the war currently in Iraq and Afghanistan there was no shortage of valiant warriors who gave their life in battle defending our beliefs as Americans. I believe there should be parades and events in every town to celebrate the ones who have fallen in every city. The mayor or board of every city should organize and pay for an event that could help demonstrate how important this holiday is to us as Americans. Many put small American flags or candles on the gravestones of the fallen soldiers on Memorial Day and some cities do hold parades such as Washington D.C. Overall I would say Memorial Day means to me what it did to my grandfather who was a Vietnam Veteran. He served several terms and saw many die for this country. His respect for those that were lost lives on in me and my family so that we will never forget those heroes. -Frank Cassity |
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