Commentary: Memorial Day, or Day of Remembrance, dates to the Civil War

May 30 is Memorial Day, originally called a Day of Remembrance, for those who have died while serving our country in war.

Memorial Day began after the Civil War to remember the more than 600,000 soldiers who died in the years between 1861 and 1865. About 600,000 deaths is more loss than in all of our other wars combined!

In 1863, President Lincoln dedicated the first National Cemetery at Gettysburg, where more than 50,000 people from both the North and the South perished in three days of terrible fighting in July 1863.

Arlington, the family home of Confederacy Gen. Robert E Lee, was confiscated by the North and has become the largest and most famous national cemetery, located in Arlington, Va., just outside of Washington, D.C. This is where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, recently called the Tomb of the Unknowns, is located. This tomb is guarded by a special group of elite and dedicated military who guard it 24 hours a day.

On this special day, American flags are placed on each grave in a national cemetery. At this time, families have traditionally visited cemeteries to place flowers, usually lilies, on family graves.

Most communities also celebrate with a Memorial Day parade. It’s a day for picnics and barbecues. It’s a day to be with families and celebrate the many blessings we enjoy as Americans.

“America, home of the free because of the brave.”

Newport Beach resident SHERRY NORD MARRON is a former adjunct professor at Orange Coast College who also taught at the University of Connecticut.