Memorial Day 2009

Today we honor men and women who have made the supreme sacrifice in service to their country. They have given their lives that we might live out our own in an experiment of community called the United States. Take some moments today and reflect on what they have given you and your family.

There are hundreds of postcards in my family archives. This is the only one commemorating Decoration or Memorial Day. The text reads:

From the silence of sorrowful hours,
The desolate mourners go,
Lovingly laden with flowers,
Alike for the friend and the foe:
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day.
Under the roses the Blue,
Under the lilies the Gray



































The card dates from around 1900-05 and reflects the sentiment of the aging Billy Yanks of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) seeking reconciliation with the Johnny Rebs of the Confederate States of America. The GAR set the groundwork for the national celebration of Decoration Day, later known as Memorial Day, in 1868. Read more about it here.