“Guard their graves with holy vigilance.”
Memorial Day is a day when we as a nation remember, honor and mourn the American military members who have lost their lives in service to our country throughout history.
Its origins lie in a war that took place within our own borders.
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Below is a Memorial Day order issued on May 5, 1868, regarding times specifically designated for stopping, paying respects, and remembering.
It was published by John A. Logan, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, who was also an author, politician, and Union general during the Civil War, and is shared here.
“Such sacred ground should not be trampled on so carelessly,” said best-selling author and veteran Jack Carr. A former Navy SEAL commander and sniper who served in Afghanistan and Iraq (inset, top right), he quoted Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, Gen. John A. Logan, on Memorial Day and the fitting honor given to U.S. soldiers who lost their lives in service to their country: “May pleasant paths invite the passage of respectful visitors and mourning mourners.” Close-up, above: Arlington National Cemetery. (Getty Images/Jack Carr)
“He died defending his country.”
“General Orders No. 11, Headquarters of the Grand Army of the Republic, Washington, DC, May 5, 1868: The 30th day of May, 1868, is hereby designated as the day for scattering flowers and otherwise decorating the graves of our comrades who died in defense of their country during the recent rebellion, and who are now buried in the churchyards of nearly every city, village and hamlet in the country.”
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Logan continued, “There is no required format or ceremony for this commemoration, but as circumstances permit, each unit and comrade will prepare appropriate ceremonies and shows of respect in their own way.”
A trumpeter from the United States Navy Ceremonial Band plays “Taps” during a military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser/Arlington National Cemetery)
“Comrades, as provided in our regulations, we are organized for the purpose, inter alia, of ‘preserving and strengthening that kindly and fraternal feeling which bound together the soldiers, sailors and marines who united to put down the recent insurrection.'”
[1945年1月30日の第6レンジャー大隊の大胆な捕虜救出に対するジャック・カーの見解:「任務達成」
彼は続けた。「胸をわが国と敵国の間にバリケードとして守った英雄的な戦死者たちの記憶を優しく心に留めること以上に、この結果を確実にする助けとなるものがあるだろうか？」
「'[Cherish] A tender memory of the brave dead…”
Logan continued: “Their lives as soldiers were the awakening of freedom to a people in chains, and their deaths the tokens of armed and rebellious tyranny. We must guard their graves with sacred vigilance.”
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He said: “It is but a fitting tribute to the memory of the slain defenders of the nation that the sacred wealth and taste of the nation can add to their ornament and security.”
A soldier with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (Old Guard) raises the American flag at a graveside stand in Section 25 of Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, May 25, 2023. (Elizabeth Fraser/U.S. Army)
“Such sacred ground must not be carelessly trampled upon.
“The pleasant pathways invite the traffic of devout visitors and mourners alike.”
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“And the ravages of greed, neglect, and the ravages of time have destroyed us as a people. [a] A free and undivided republic.”
Jack Carr served our country in Naval Special Warfare for 20 years. His in-depth non-fiction work, co-authored with James Scott, “Target: Beirut – The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing: The Untold True Origins of the War on Terror,” is scheduled for publication in September 2024. (Simon & Schuster)
“Though other eyes may grow dim, other hands may relax, and other hearts may grow cold in solemn trust, so long as there remains within us the light and warmth of life, we will hold fast to it,” said General John A. Logan.
Remember …
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