Memorial Day Salute

The time was 1866 and the United States was recovering from the long and bloody Civil War between the North and the South. Surviving soldiers came home, some with missing limbs, and all with stories to tell. Henry Welles, a drugstore owner in Waterloo, New York, heard the stories and had an idea. He suggested that all the shops in town close for one day to honor the soldiers who were killed in the Civil War and were buried in the Waterloo cemetery. On the morning of May 5, the townspeople placed flowers, wreaths and crosses on the graves of the Northern soldiers in the cemetery. At about the same time, Retired Major General Jonathan A. Logan planned another ceremony, this time for the soldiers who survived the war. He led the veterans through town to the cemetery to decorate their comrades' graves with flags. It was not a happy celebration, but a memorial. The townspeople called it Decoration Day.  Decoration Day, as it was first called, was enacted on May 5th, 1868. On May 30th, flowers were placed on the graves of union and confederate dead at Arlington National Cemetery. May was chosen because it is the time of years when flowers begin to bloom. More than 140 years late, the first flags have been placed on the graves of soldiers at the Alabama National Cemetery. The cemetery, Located in Montevallo, AL, is holding its first Memorial Day observance since burials began last summer. So far, 430 American Veterans are buried at the Cemetery. Cemetery Director, Quincy Whitehead, said there's room for plenty more. "When it's all said and done we will burry over 200 thousand veterans and or eligible family members. We have 479 acres and we're expecting burials for at least the next 50 plus years."  My dad served in WWII and Frank in Vietnam.  Today, I just want to take a moment to be thankful for all the men and women who serve and have lost their lives keeping our country free.  Have a Safe Memorial Day.  Tell a Veteran or Soldier Thanks!  The song I have chosen today is by a group called Cowboy Crush.  My group, Still Magnolias opened for them in Columbus.  Enjoy the song....and it's ok to cry....I did....and do everytime I hear it.