Finding peace and forgiveness after 24 years

By John Plummer, Purcellville, Virginia

I was in my living room reading a book with the television on low. It was a warm, pleasant June evening in 1996, and I was glad to have some time to myself.

Then a photo flashed on the screen, an image that had haunted me for years. No matter how often I saw it, the pain came back to me. How could I be forgiven? How could I even speak of my part in it?

A little Vietnamese girl running toward the camera, arms outstretched, screaming hysterically from terrible napalm burns. This Pulitzer prize-winning photo had wrung the hearts of millions, but it was particularly wrenching for me: I was the one responsible for the girl’s agony.

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Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:

The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.

This 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances of the day in several towns throughout America that had taken place in the three years since the Civil War. In fact, several Northern and Southern cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Miss.; Macon, Ga.; Richmond, Va.; Boalsburg, Pa.; and Carbondale, Ill.

In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson, declared Waterloo, N.Y., the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America’s wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)

Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.

Several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for honoring the Confederate dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day.

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In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President Truman “praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas” and said, “it is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace.” In an excerpt from the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Mr. Truman stated:

Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America’s defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense.

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was “Teamed for Defense.” It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of “educational program for civilians,” one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show “state-of-the-art” equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.

According to a New York Times article published on May 17, 1952: “This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces … to all the individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world. Armed Forces Day won’t be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give their lives in that duty.”

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. In Washington D.C., 10,000 troops of all branches of the military, cadets, and veterans marched pass the President and his party. In Berlin, 1,000 U.S. troops paraded for the German citizens at Templehof Airfield. In New York City, an estimated 33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day “under an air cover of 250 military planes of all types.” In the harbors across the country were the famed mothballed “battlewagons” of World War II, the Missouri, the New Jersey, the North Carolina, and the Iowa, all open for public inspection. Precision flying teams dominated the skies as tracking radar were exhibited on the ground. All across the country, the American people joined together to honor the Armed Forces.

As the people gathered to honor the Armed Forces on this occasion, so too did the country’s leaders. Some of the more notable of these leaders’ quotes are stated below:

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William Hase

1/13/1921 – N/A
Branch: Army
Rank: Corporal
Outfit: 96th Division
Service Dates: 1943 – 1946
Conflicts/Significant Events: World War II
Story uploaded/modified: Thursday, November 06, 2008

See Video Story HERE.

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Lowell B. (Bud) Love

Lowell B. (Bud) Love

10/10/1923 – N/A
Branch: Navy
Rank: Photographer Mate 2nd Class
Outfit: VG
Service Dates: 1942 – 1946
Veteran Station: Johnson
County: Johnson
Conflicts/Significant Events: World War II

Learn more and see Bud’s Video Story HERE.

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Amos Jack Roy

Amos Jack Roy

12/20/1924 – N/A

Branch: Army

Rank: Technical Sergeant

Outfit: 104th Hospital, Medical Corp

Service Dates: 1943 – 1946

County: Greene

Conflicts/Significant Events: World War II

Click link to see Mr. Roy’s video story.  http://www.hometown-heroes.org/story.aspx?vetId=24582

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Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson

10/10/1933 – N/A
Branch: Army
Rank: Corporal
Outfit: 2nd Infantry Support Division
Service Dates: 1954 – 1956
County: Pettis
City: Monsees, MO
Conflicts/Significant Events: Korea

Click here for Robert Jackson’s Video Story

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Jerome Sigmund

4/3/1934 – N/A
Branch: Marines
Rank: Corporal
Outfit: Air wing
Service Dates: 1954 – 1956
Veteran Station: Korea, Japan
County: St. Charles
City: O’Fallon, MO
Conflicts/Significant Events: Korea
Story uploaded/modified: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

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A 14-year-old boy asked his grandpa, “What did you do during the war?” The answer was just the beginning.

By Nicholas Rider, Monroe, Washington

My name is Nicholas Rider. I’m 14 and last year I published my first book. How’s that? you ask. Well, it started with my grandfather.

Grandpa was a veteran of World War II, and maybe because I loved building model airplanes, I always used to ask him about what he’d done in the war. He was pretty modest about it. “Not a whole lot,” he said.

Enlisted at the age of 17, went through boot camp in San Diego (”Wouldn’t want to go through that again,” he said, “but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.”). He attended radio and radar school and was enroute to Tsingtao, China, when he became sick with jungle rot while crossing the Pacific.

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