Another thing to remember is Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which is also in May. We don’t often
think of the family behind the service member, but
when they lose a loved one or have to be apart from
them during a tour, it takes a toll on them as well.
We forget that being in a military family requires a
lot of sacrifice, and we honor those families for having the courage to support their troops through all
endeavors.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan “recognized the profound importance of spousal
commitment to the readiness and well-being of
military members.” President Reagan did so with
the Proclamation 5184.
Congress then officially established Military Spouse Appreciation Day as a part of
the National Military Appreciation Month in the
same year that it, too, was created: 1999. It is noted
and declared to be the Friday before Mother’s Day
(fittingly) every year.
The final observance we make in May is, of
course, Memorial Day. Memorial Day was
originally called Decoration Day, and more than 20
cities and towns still claim to be the creators and
“birthplaces” of the Federal Holiday. Nevertheless,
Waterloo, New York, was officially named the birthplace of the holiday in 1966, by President Lyndon B.
Johnson. Memorial Day was initially thought of after
the time of the Civil War, as a need to honor all those
that served and died during that time.
In May of 1868, General John Logan of the
Grand Army of the Republic, declared, “The
30th of May…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.” It is noted that the particular day was chosen for being free of any previous
battle anniversaries.
We commemorate those who gave their lives in
service and we assure the surviving families that
we will remember their loved one’s expense for our
country. There is a scheduled minute of silence in
place at 3:00 PM local time, to honor and remember
those military personnel.
64 Summer 2016 Adventure Outdoors
“There are some who have
forgotten why we have a military.
It is not to promote war, it is to be
prepared for peace. ”
– President Ronald Reagan