There are many interesting facts about the Memorial Day holiday.

For most, it is the traditional first day of summer and the opening of swimming pools.

To those who hold respect for those who served in the military and paid the ultimate price, it is a deeply cherished and honorable occasion each year.

First celebrated in the early years after the Civil War, it was a holiday honoring the Civil War heroes only. After America entered World War I, it was expanded to include those killed in all wars.

Many southern states adopted their own day to honor the dead, with most being celebrated on the anniversary of or birthday of a southern general, such as Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson.

The uniform Holiday Act of 1968 moved the national observance from its original date of May 30 to the final Monday of May. Twenty towns across the country claim to have hosted the original celebration of Memorial Day, but President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., as the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966.

Originally known as “Decoration Day,” for the practice of decorating the graves of war veterans for about a century, it did not become an official national holiday until 1971 when, ironically, the U.S. was deeply involved in the Vietnam War.

You will also see many veterans wearing a poppy on their uniforms on Memorial Day. Lore has it that the bright red flowers were seen coming through the graves of World War I victims buried in the fields in France and Belgium. A Canadian brigade surgeon wrote a memorial poem, titled “In Flanders Field,” which mentioned the red poppy, and it has since been a symbol of remembrance.

The American flag is to be flown at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day and then proudly raised to the top of the staff. A national moment of remembrance is to be held at 3 p.m. local time.

So as we celebrate 2021, entering into the summer season and our return to a new state of normal as we escape the grasp of COVID-19, let’s take the time to honor those who are responsible for the freedom that we have to live in the greatest country in the world. May all of them rest in peace and, in their honor, may God Bless America.

— RV