Decoration Day

Keith Molden · May 29, 2017

When I was a young lad, we used to put flowers on the graves of family members. My parents called it Decoration Day and Mom always hoped her Peonies were ready to take to the cemetery. I don't remember any place to buy flowers back then. I don't remember it being called Memorial Day back then. After I was in Viet Nam I joined the American Legion (now AmVets) and was an officer for a time until I just couldn't go do the rifle salute any more. Does anyone else remember it being called Decoration Day or was it just a local thing here? Keith

NY 986 · May 29, 2017

I remember older people calling it Decoration Day, too. It has always been considered Memorial Day and the village that makes the claim to starting it is here in the Finger Lakes namely Waterloo, NY.

Bob Bancroft · May 29, 2017

Yes, older folks around here called it "Decoration" day.

DGinVT · May 29, 2017

When I grew up and it was always called Decoration Day.

Bruce from Can. · May 29, 2017

Always decoration day here too , and same thing here , my mom always had Peonies to decorate graves . And I remember folks ordering bouquets of Peonies from my mother , to put on their family graves . There were very few florist shops in the 60's . And the shops that were in the trade were over 20 miles away , and charged like wild. My mother loved to grow flowers, and took great pleasure in being the local " flower lady " .

Each Cemetery had it's own decoration day , most where in June. And as a Kid I remember hundreds of people going to decoration day services. Sadly , most of these events have faded , and the folks that used to go to them , are now for the most part , there full time now.

Goose · May 29, 2017

I recall it being called "Decoration Day" when I was a kid. Somewhere along the way it changed to "Memorial Day".

BTW, we once had a temporary pastor at our church who did a neat thing after the church service on Sunday before Memorial Day. At the end of the service, he announced, "As I leave the Sanctuary, I invite all who have worn the uniform of our country to follow me out and form a receiving line in the Narthex. I ask all other members of the congregation to feel free to show their appreciation".

It was fantastic! There were at least three dozen of us in line, and there were lots of handshakes, lots of hugs, a few kisses, and even a few tears. One little old gray haired lady cracked me up. She asked what branch of service. I replied the Marine Corps. She backed up a couple of steps, eyed me up and down, and said, "You look like a Marine", and walked off. I have no idea who she was.

I'd never seen it done before or since, but it was a great move.

John T · May 29, 2017

FWIW Wayyyyyyyyy back when I was a kid they called it Decoration Day

John T

john in la · May 29, 2017

Decoration Day was started by the north as not to conflict or associate themselves with the south that had already started Memorial Day. Some even called it Confederates Memorial Day.

Raptor44 · May 29, 2017

I to remember it being called Decoration Day. As with all of these rememberance days my Grandparants whom I lived with since age 5 always flew my Uncle Joe's casket flag with 48 stars from the front porch. Many years later after they had all passed and everyone wanted thier stuff. I kept what no one else wanted. That flag which I still have. My grandma's Gold Star pin, hat. and window flag. I also dug up my Grandmothers Peonis and they are today planted in my yard around my property.

sourgum · May 29, 2017

Keith - I remember Decoration Day exactly as you described it in your post when I was younger. We had peonies in the yard that had been there for decades they were usually ready on Decoration Day or Memorial Day. Peony is the state flower here in Indiana. It was the way we were brought up by our parents, pay your respects on this Day.

Dean · May 29, 2017

I well remember Decoration Day when I was small in the 1950s.

At the time, it was customary in my area for folks to decorate the graves of parents and other ancestors, whether veterans or otherwise.

I still have some of the "urns" and "planters" that my mother used to place flowers upon the graves of my grand parents.

A day or two later, she would religiously return to the cemetery to remove the wilted flowers and retrieve the hardware for use next year.

Dean

Adirondack case guy · May 29, 2017

Many here still call it Decoration Day, and yet others call it Flag Day.
Loren

Pete in MD · May 29, 2017

May 30th, or now the last Monday in May, was known as Decoration Day up until 1971.

I remember going to celebrations as a kid in the mid '40s and seeing Spanish-American War veterans in uniform paying respects to their fallen brothers and other vets who had died in service to their country.

Pete in MD · May 29, 2017

Loren,

Officially Flag Day is June 14th.

Having Flag Day on any other day is fine by me in fact I think everyday is a day to fly and show respect to our flag.

Pete

RayP(MI) · May 29, 2017

When I was a kid, all the old folks called it "Decoration Day." Don't remember as they had any services, just went out and cleaned up around the graves and left the flowers. Now days they make quite a deal of having a service, and call it "Memorial Day." All of the old folks are now there year around. Come to think of it, now we're the old folks.

Dean · May 29, 2017

I well remember WWI veterans. Indeed, I remember when the last living WWI veteran in my home town passed.

I do not remember any Spanish American War Veterans, though, it is likely that some were around at some of the services that I attended when young.

I remember the Life Magazine cover in, IIRC, 1959 when the last remaining Civil War Veteran passed.

Dean

old-9 · May 29, 2017

Raptor 44,That is a cool post. My older sister talks about going with our Grandmother to decorate the graves. She talks about pumping the water to keep the peony,s looking good. Grandma always speent much time talking to a lot of people doing the same thing. I barely remember going myself. Lilacs also were popular decorations. I wish that I had a start of Grandma's peony's and lilacs.
Decoration day is/was a time to decorate the graves of LOVED ONES. Just because a bunch of idiots called "government" changed the name doesn't mean the meaning changed!!!!!!! Just my 2 cents worth.
I also have two 48 star flags, one hangs close enough that I can touch it right now. The other will be displayed on my 1941 Ford tractor at the tractor shows. When I ask some people "what is different about the flag?" not very many pick up on the 48 stars.
God Bless All joe

Raptor44 · May 29, 2017

Old-9 When I was young I would come home from school and be eager to go out and play and my grandma would tell me we were going to the cemetery. This would usually happen at least three times a week. I would walk with her about a mile to the cemetery and carry the big green water can with the garden tools in it (one of which was a old bayonet that was her garden shovel, a very profound and useful tool). I too, like your sister would pump water from the well to water the flowers. With all my uncles and aunts gone now and me having moved back home after retiring from the Army I am the only one who goes there and attends and remembers what I was taught. Respect. My two cents. God Bless America

oldsarge · May 29, 2017

As far as I'm concerned,Decoration Day is the 31st and Memorial Day is the last Monday
,
,

JerryS · May 30, 2017

That would be Walter Williams. However, there is evidence to suggest that he was not a veteran, being only about five years old when the Great Unpleasantness began. The bona fides of several of the last numbers of "surviving" Confederate veterans were also questionable; most were thought to not be as old as they claimed.
There were a number of reason men would fabricate a war record in their advanced years: to receive the adulation of others, with few peers to validate or disclaim their stories, and sketchy official Confederate records. Pensions for veterans were also an enticement to pose as a vet.

Pete in MD · May 30, 2017

Albert Henry Woolson (February 11, 1850 ? August 2, 1956) was the last surviving member of the Union Army who served in the American Civil War. He was also the last surviving Civil War veteran on either side whose status is undisputed. Even if he served as a drummer boy he was still a veteran of the Civil War.

Decoration Day

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