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Eulogy for a Veteran
Author Unknown
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the Gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the mornings hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.

Memorial Day History

The location of the first observance of Memorial Day is in dispute. Some claim the custom of honoring war dead began in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. Others claim the custom was originated by some Southern women who placed flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers after the Civil War. According to one writer, the first Memorial Day service took place on May 30, 1866, on Belle Isle, a burial ground for Union soldiers in the St. James River, at Richmond, Virginia. The school superintendent and the mayor planned the program of hymns and speeches and had the burial ground decorated with flowers. In 1966, however, the U.S. government proclaimed that Waterloo, New York, was the birthplace of Memorial Day. On May 5, 1865, the people of Waterloo had honored soldiers who had died in the Civil War.

In 1868, General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (an organization of Union veterans of the Civil War), named May 30th as a special day to honor the graves of Union soldiers. The selection of May 30th is attributed to a Virginian of French descent, Cassandra Oliver Moncure, who may have selected this date because it was "The Day of Ashes" in France-the day that Napoleon's remains were returned to France from St. Helena.

Tradition

The custom of placing flowers on graves is an old one that exists in many countries. Today, almost everywhere around the globe, people have a special day to honor not only those who gave their lives in battle, but also family members and friends whom they wish to remember.

The Northern states and some Southern states celebrate Memorial Day on the last Monday in May. This date was made a federal holiday in 1971. Some Southern states have Memorial Day celebrations to honor Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. Mississippi and Alabama celebrate Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday in April. In Florida and Georgia, the date is April 26. May 10 is Memorial Day in North and South Carolina, and the holiday is June 3 in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Texas observes Confederate Heroes Day on January 19 (Robert E. Lee's birthday).

Memorial Day Activities

Please share with children the REAL purpose of Memorial Day. While it is just plain fun to go on picnics and or camping, children should still be taught the true meaning of this holiday and why we recognize Memorial Day...

Compose original lyrics for a song about the theme of Memorial Day.

Investigate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Research the famous Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., which lists all the members of the U.S. armed forces who were killed in that war. Compose a poem about that dramatic memorial.

Design a peace emblem or symbol.

Make a placemat, bookmark, or other appropriate gift for distribution at a veterans hospital.

Look in poetry anthologies for poems about flags, national service, and wars. Then compose your own poem about one of these topics.

Have a parade within your neighborhood to commemorate Memorial Day.

Participate in a civic or hospital drive for veterans.

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