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David Barton on Memorial Day 
 
Remembering those who paid for our freedoms with their lives
 
May 23, 2008
Greetings!
 
David BartonDavid Barton is the Founder and President of WallBuilders,
a national pro-family organization that presents America's
forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral,
religious and constitutional heritage.

WallBuilders is a name taken from the Old Testament writings of Nehemiah, who led a grassroots movement to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore its strength and honor. In the same way, WallBuilders seeks to energize the grassroots today to become involved in strengthening their communities, states, and nation. David is the author of numerous best-selling books, with the subjects being drawn largely from his massive library of tens of thousands of original writings from the Founding Era. He also addresses well over 400 groups each year.
Memorial Day - History
 
"This Monday is the official observance of Memorial Day -- a day to honor the more than 1.2 million Americans who gave their lives for our freedoms across two centuries and a dozen wars. In previous generations, sermons were delivered on such important days to provide the added dimension of spiritual significance and Biblical understanding. We thought you might enjoy two Memorial Day sermons from the late-1800s (both were first printed in 1905) along with a short historical background of the day itself."
 
 
 History of Memorial Day:

On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic (an organization made up of Union Veterans) set aside May 30th as Decoration Day to commemorate fallen soldiers by adorning their graves with flowers. General Logan's order declared: "We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance....Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic."

That year, 5,000 gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to attend commemoration ceremonies presided over by President and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant. This was the nation's first major tribute to those who fell in the Civil War, and at that time small American flags were placed on each grave (a tradition that continues today).
 
Quick Links...
 
Restore America Homepage  www.restoreamerica.org