Remembering is the Name of the Holiday

Memorial Day has been set aside as a day to honor men and women who have died in battle since the Civil War. The holiday as we know it was created by a Union Army general. The date was moved from May 5 to May 30 by President Lyndon Johnson, who declared it a federal holiday. 

But the tradition is even older. Before Memorial Day, people often gathered in cemeteries with picnic lunches on the graves of loved ones.  It seems weird now, I know (but, no cable). Each spring, families decorated the graves of loved ones in remembrance, and when that day morphed into Memorial Day folks who died in service to our country were added to the memory book, and the picnics took on a patriotic tone.

We’re all so busy these days it’s genius that we have an actual holiday that forces us to remember to recognize the sacrifice of the bravest among us, and to remember all of those we have loved and lost. 

So, until Congress legalizes National Gratitude Day, Memorial Day will be my catch-all. It can be yours, too. Whether you spend the day minding a backyard grill, digging begonias in a cemetery or waving a flag, make sure you take a second to remember a little of your own personal history -- and if you see someone in uniform, thank them for their service.

Memorial Day Events Nearby 

• Fairlawn -- The Fairlawn VFW Post, Fairlawn Safety Forces and Fairlawn Boy Scout Troop 390 will hold a celebration at 11 a.m. Monday (May 30) at , across from city hall. The event will be moved inside Fairlawn Kiwanis Community Center if there is rain.
• Bath Township – The township’s annual Memorial Day observance is scheduled for noon Monday (May 30) at , across from the township fire department at the corner of West Bath and North Cleveland-Massillon roads. Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Donald Allen will speak, the Revere High School Band will perform and a color guard will deliver a military salute. In case of rain, the event will move to the auditorium of
• Copley – The township’s 78th annual Memorial Day Parade will include an ROTC honor guard and drill team, a Celtic band, the Copley High School Band and Copley Township safety forces. The parade steps off from at 10 a.m. Monday (May 30) and ends at Copley Veterans Cemetery, 3700 Copley Road. A ceremony at the cemetery immediately follows the parade. Vietnam veteran Richard McPherson, of Akron, who was awarded the Purple Heart, is the featured speaker. The event moves to the middle school gym in case of rain.