Memorial Day Celebrations

“Any Nation That Does Not Honor Its Heros Will Not Long Endure." - President Abraham Lincoln

Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, is a US Federal holiday created in the 1860’s in communities to mark the end of the Civil War and set aside to commemorate U.S. men and women who died while in military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, the observance was later expanded to include American casualties of any war or military action. Traditional observances include the decorating of family graves with flowers and placement of American flags on grave sites at National Cemeteries. In the days leading up to Memorial Day, red paper poppies are offered for a modest donation by members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the poppy’s significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem “In Flanders Fields.” Many Americans view Memorial Day as the beginning of summer and a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings and sporting events. Many communities involve local organizations, police and fire departments in holding memorial observances and parades to show honor and remembrances of those who lost their lives in service.

For decades on the third Sunday of May the Village of Altamont annual Memorial Day Parade stepped off rain or shine from the Altamont Fair Grounds and proceed down Grand Street, Main Street, Lincoln, Western and Maple Avenues to Orsini Park. The members of the Boyd Hilton VFW Post and the American Legion Post continue with limited funds to coordinate and host the parade with the Village making a contribution to support the event. Participation continues to decline as more groups and organizations now request donations to march in the parade. The day of the Shriners dressed as clowns scooting around in mini cars, fife and drum bands and floats all patriotically decked out are gone. But the Color Guard, the Veterans, the Gold Star Mothers, wives and children of Veterans, the Volunteer Fire Departments, Volunteer Rescue Squads, Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts continued to march through Altamont through 2016. The Memorial Day Parade was replaced with a short program held in Orsini Park in 2017.

Although through the years the participation has declined, it is still the most visible way citizens can honor those who served our country when called upon. Many of these men and women sacrificed their youth, health and dreams to ensure that the liberties of their children and grandchildren were protected. The majority of these veterans were drafted. The first government draft occurred during the Civil War. The Selective Draft Act passed on May 18, 1917 after the United States entered the Great War. 2,810,296 United States citizens were called to service at that time. 10,110,104 were drafted in WWII, 1,529,539 during the Korean War and 1,857,304 during the Vietnam War. Compulsory Military Service was discontinued in 1973 although the US Government still enforces the Selective Service System by registering all men at the age of 18 so that a draft can be readily resumed.