MD Department Patriotic Instructor May
2010
"Memorial Day" General Logan's Instructions and a Message
With
Memorial Day near at hand, we find ourselves in a new battle to preserve the
true spirit in which it was established.
In many ways the purpose for celebrating Memorial Day has passed out of
the conscience of America. Today small
groups of men and women, hold to tradition, attend ceremonies in cemetery's,
town squares, and memorial parks in hope of honoring the heroes of Americas
past. However, the great mass of Americans pass the day with
little thought to the men who have given all for the freedom they enjoy. We have lost part of ourselves; apathy and
ignorance have permeated the fabric of America, caused people to question their
sense of Patriotism, or worse still label it unpopular and anachronistic.
In the opening paragraphs of General Order #11
General John Logan gives two important
instructions to the future generations of America. First we have a duty and a sacred trust to
preserve the resting places of the fallen heroes. General Logan underscores the point of
preserving the memory of the fallen by saying "What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing
tenderly the memory of our heroic dead . . .
We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance." As camps and members of the Sons of Union
Veterans of the Civil War, the descendant group of the GAR, General Logan's Order #11 reminds us that our
generation too; has a duty to find, mark, and preserve the resting places of
the "Boys in Blue. In large measure
this is how we can ensure that physical evidence of the sacrifice made between
1861 and 1865 survives within the corporate American memory. The second
instruction that General Logan passed on to us is that, we as members must
ensure that the story of that sacrifice is taught to the next generation of
Americans less the lesson of that sacrifice be lost to them. The following quote from order #11 defines
our task; "o vandalism of avarice or
neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or coming generations that
we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided
republic." We must share the responsibility to secure a future in
which apathy and ignorance for sacred days such as Memorial Day have no
place. We must stand up, testifying to
the values of Patriotism and the values of the men we seek to honor. Camps should become involved with their local
schools. The National SUVCW has a
program for "Adopt-a-School.
Identify and contact the people who teach history in all grades. K -
College. Camps can put together a
speakers bureau that local history teachers can call upon to present programs
in the classroom. Have your camp start
up a local history teacher of the year award, this is great way to gain local
community media exposure. In order to
educate the public we must become involved at the grassroots in our communities
by seeking out and working with the other patriotic groups such as the SAR or DAR to increase awareness. If you have not already established an Eagle
Scout or JROTC program do so. The
requirements for these programs can be found on the national web site and their
cost is small in relation to the benefits and rewards they reap.
If we
are to preserver in our goals to bring Memorial Day back to the original
purpose we must educate the public to that original purpose. We are the front line in this endeavor and it
is up to us to take an action and take it soon.
The Battle Cry of
Freedom (excerpts)
Yes, we'll rally round the flag,
boys, we'll rally once again
shouting the battle-cry of freedom
We will rally from the hill-side,
we'll gather from the plain
Shouting the battle-cry of freedom
The
Union forever, hurrah boys, hurrah!
Down
with the traitor, up with the star
While
we rally round the flag boys, rally once again
Shouting
the battle-cry of freedom
We are springing to the call of our
brothers gone before,
Shouting the battle-cry of freedom
George Frederick Root
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