Remembering Our Fallen Memorial Day 2006

Memorial Day began as a General Order, No. 11 to be exact, proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30 of that year. New York was the first state to observe the holiday in 1873. Congress set its celebration as the last Monday in May with the passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971.
Queens residents lined the streets of their neighborhoods this past Memorial Day, May 29 to view their local parades and honor their loved ones who are serving in the military today, those who served throughout history – but most importantly – those men and women who gave their lives in our past wars so that we may all live in freedom. For the young it was a fun day in the sunshine, with bright colors, flags, men in uniform, and marching bands. For the adults, it was a solemn occasion, often taken too lightly nowadays if observed at all, but one that must be passed on to the youth of our nation, one band, one veteran, one flag, one float, one soldier at a time.