by Russell Waldron

Created on: May 17, 2010   Last Updated: May 18, 2010

Memorial Day can be observed in a host of various ways. How you do this is your perogatrive. But for those a little short of ideas, this article is written especially for you. Memorial Day, which was initially called Decoration Day, is a day American embrace in order to remember those who were killed fighting for this great nation. Stories vary greatly about it’s true beginnings. Many cities, towns, counties and so forth, claiming to be its original birthplace. Irrespective of its origins, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5th May, 1868 by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. This was in his General Order No 11. Thus Memorial Day was then observed on 30th May, 1868. Flowers were placed upon the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial Day can be observed in a host of different ways, family get-togethers, barbecues, parades, parties and so forth. Enjoy the parties etc, but try to honour them in some small way.

Visit the military memorial:

A plethora of people have ancestors who died serving their country. Why not visit the military memorial where you can pay your respect while learning more of American military history. Washington D.C’ s military memorial would be a great place to start. Or check out your local veteran’s memorial if you don’t plan on travelling to far.

Pay a visit to the cemetery:

Take some small American flags or a bunch of flowers with you and place these on the graves of fallen soldiers. If any graves look neglected, spend some time tidying up as much as possible. A silent prayer would be a lovely way to show that you appreciate what they did for America. If visiting the cemetery by car take along a bucket, bottle of water and scrubbing brush to give the headstone a bit of a spruce up.

Go visit the veterans:

There could be war veterans sitting in lonely rooms in nearest nursing homes, staring at the walls and wondering why they are being neglected. Go introduce yourself and make their day a happy one. Ring up your local hospital, hospice or nursing home, and ask if there are any veterans who have no visitors. If they give you the thumbs up, ask if you can bake a Memorial Day cake or cookies for your new found friend. Don’t forget to visit veteran widows as well.

Attend a memorial day service:

By attending a memorial day service or parade, you are showing observing memorial day in the traditional way. Your

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