Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen Whitehead reflects on the history and importance of Memorial Day.
Transcript
Ladies and gentlemen, service members and veterans who have served, who are currently serving this great nation. I’m honored to speak with you today. For many Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer. This year for many of us, it marks another day closer to the end of social distancing, hopefully. We’ve been through a great deal together as a state, a nation and a world since we first heard of the coronavirus. Yet, as much of our lives have been altered, truly impacted. We’re still breathing in and out and determined to get through this with our families and neighbors. Perhaps ironically, Memorial Day is our day to remember those who died at the end of the war we fought within our own borders. A war fought between states, a war fought amongst brothers. Both sides suffered terrible losses, 600,000 dead. We hear numbers of dead each day in the news from COVID-19. I pray we do not see numbers like that before this is over. But those dead in the civil war were not forgotten. It was a simple act of honoring service and adorning soldiers’ graves with flowers of Maine that gave birth to Decoration Day. Now known as Memorial Day. It was officially observed the first time on May 13 1868. at Arlington National Cemetery. scholars believe it was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. And the flowers would be in bloom all over the country so everyone can recognize the fallen soldiers. It was not a day to commemorate war. It was a day to celebrate, a day to decorate and to commemorate the lives sacrificed by men and women. In proclaiming the first Decoration Day, General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, wrote that we should not only remember those who died in defense of their country, but also renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they left among us. The widows and orphans. What makes Memorial Day particularly special is what it means to those touched deeply by the loss of service members. The family that they left behind are Gold Star Families. Today, many of our Gold Star Families are alone. The gathering at cemeteries to show our support to them for their loss are canceled or altered due to the requirements to limit groups from gathering. Instead of playing Taps and giving speeches and flag and flower fields cemeteries. This Memorial Day weekend, our National Guard members across the nation are fighting for their brothers and sisters against the coronavirus. More than 45,000 guards men and women from all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia as a part of the COVID-19 response. We’ve seen dramatic measures taken by the National Guard in New York, Michigan and Louisiana on the news. Locally, we’ve witnessed Governor Waltz strategically place soldiers and airmen in planning cells for all the care facilities and play a logistics support role. The distribution of personal protective equipment. This virus doesn’t treat everyone equally. Only by neighbors helping neighbors in a friendly and professional manner, We slow the spread. We’re very proud of the work we’ve done as a National Guard and continue to do in support of the governor’s plan to defeat the virus. And we recognize this is a national crisis. Every American, every Minnesotan, has a role in stopping this pandemic. I want you to know today that the National Guard has your back throughout this crisis. We’re in this together, and we’ll get through this together. Today, we’re not standing in decorated cemeteries among our fallen service members with arms stretched around Gold Star Families. Today, we stand six feet apart, wearing masks. But that doesn’t mean we can’t remember the importance of Memorial Day together. We can fly American flag. We can join collectively in the national moment of remembrance. Is a call to voluntarily and informally pause at three o’clock in the afternoon on Monday Memorial Day to reflect on and remember those Americans who died in the service to our nation. This national moment of remembrance was established by Congress in 2000. He reportedly came about after a group of schoolchildren toured the US Capitol, were asked about the meaning of Memorial Day. The reply is the day the pool opens. When I hear a story like that I can’t help but remember of the words of Calvin Coolidge, who in a speech not long after the end of World War One said that the nation which forgets his defenders, will itself be forgotten. That is why our observance of this day understanding and respecting his true meaning even during the national pandemic is so important to all of us and our future generations. This Memorial Day does mark the beginning of summer, which will no doubt be one for the history books. This Memorial Day, please pause to remember the American history of a different war and sacrifice that brought our country to where we were at the start of this pandemic and where we will return to together. Thank you.