| Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was
first observed May 30, 1868, on the order of General John Alexander Logan to decorate
the graves of American Civil War dead. It was observed on May 30 until 1971, when
the federal observance changed to the last Monday in May. The holiday, honoring
military personnel killed in wartime, is celebrated with parades, speeches and
ceremonies, and the decoration of graves, hence the original name. In 1915,
Moina Michael conceived the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in memory
of those who died serving the nation in war. She also sold poppies to friends
and co-workers and used the money to benefit needy servicemen. Later, a visiting
French woman named Madam Guerin learned of this new custom, and when she returned
to France, made and sold artificial poppies to benefit war-orphans and widows.
This tradition spread to other countries; in 1922, the Veterans of Foreign Wars
became the first veterans' organization to sell poppies nationally. Since
the late 1950s, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the
3rd U.S. Infantry have placed small American flags at each of the gravestones
at Arlington National Cemetery. Then they patrol around the clock during the weekend
to ensure each flag remains standing. Other groups, such as the Boy Scouts
and Girl Scouts, have developed local memorial programs to honor fallen soldiers.
However, thanks to many peaceful years, the meaning and traditions of Memorial
Day have faded. But, the war on terrorism and the conflict in Iraq serve as a
poignant reminder to honor our fallen service people. Help students learn
about the ultimate sacrifice The following resources provide various perspectives
for students to learn about this national observance, military history and personal
experiences of war. They can explore:
Memorial Day resources
U.S. Memorial Day History
Channel's Memorial Day
History
of Memorial Day
Military History
Navy
history Online
Military Data Bases and Records
Great for lessons and family history studies
Patriotic
themes
How
to fold American Flag
Pictures
of American Flags through time
Women
in the Military
American
Women Prisoners of War Monuments
to Women Warriors Women
Soldiers War
Diaries
Letters
from the Great War The
Wall
Articles, poems, memories of Vietnam
Iraq
war diaries
Lesson
plan on wars | 
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