"Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." -- VFW 2002 Memorial Day address



Memorial Day used to be a solemn day of mourning, a sacred day of remembrance to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. Businesses closed for the day. Towns held parades honoring the fallen, the parade routes often times ending at a local cemetery, where Memorial Day speeches were given and prayers offered up. People took the time that day to clean and decorate with flowers and flags the graves of those the fell in service to their country.

Restore The Traditional Day Of Observance For Memorial Day
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"Let no vandalism of avarice or 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." -- General Logan - May 5, 1868
We need to remember with sincere respect those who paid the price for our freedoms; we need to keep in sacred remembrance those who died serving their country. We need to never let them be forgotten. However, over the years the original meaning and spirit of Memorial Day has faded from the public consciousness.
"If it is considered a holiday, why is it so? I consider it to be a national day of mourning. This is how we observe this day in our home. Because of what that day represents the rest of the days of the year are our holidays." -- F L Lloyd West Chester, Pa USA - February 26, 2000
On Memorial Day we need to stop and pay with sincere conviction our respects for those who died protecting and preserving the freedoms we enjoy, for we owe those honored dead more than we can ever repay.
People of other nations sometimes show more of the true spirit of Memorial Day more than we do here. For example, a 2001 U.S. Memorial Day Guestbook entry from a citizen of the Netherlands states:

"In 1999 I laid flowers at the grave of a young U.S. fighter pilot who was KIA in my village in 1945. In the Netherlands I know of schools 'adopting' graves of Allied servicemen, keeping those graves in excellent condition! Does anybody know of adopting graves in the U.S. by schools?
Sincerely,
Paul Patist
Castricum, The Netherlands - Tue May 15 04:50:29 2001"

How many graves of our fallen do we in America leave dishonored by leaving their resting places forgotten and neglected?

Unfortunately, when Congress made Memorial day into a mandatory three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363), it made it all the easier for us to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day.

The Moment of Remembrance started in 2001 is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember and reflect, to maintain and decorate the graves of the fallen, and as Gen Logan stated in his famous General Order #11: "renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan."

On 17 of March 1989 Senator Inouye [HI] introduced a bill to the Senate which called for the restoration of the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th. Every new Congress since then (every two years), Mr. Inouye has faithfully re-introduced the bill. Several times a companion bill was introduced to the House.

As eloquently stated by Mr. Inouye in his introductory remarks to the bill he introduced in 1999:

"Mr. President, in our effort to accommodate many Americans by making the last Monday in May, Memorial Day, we have lost sight of the significance of this day to our nation. Instead of using Memorial Day as a time to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made by Americans in combat, many Americans use the day as a celebration of the beginning of summer. My bill would restore Memorial Day to May 30 and authorize our flag to fly at half mast on that day. In addition, this legislation would authorize the President to issue a proclamation designating Memorial Day and Veterans Day as days for prayer and ceremonies honoring American veterans. This legislation would help restore the recognition our veterans deserve for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our nation." (1999 Congressional Record, page S621)
Bill Status:
On 4 January 2007, Mr. Inouye [HI] again re-introduced the bill, this time as S 70, to the Senate. At present there are no co-sponsors. On the same day it was introduced, the bill was read referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. As of today, no further major action has been taken by the Committee on this bill.
To keep the number of three day Federal Holidays the same, Armed Forces day, the third weekend of every May, could easily become a three-day holiday. On that holiday we can celebrate our freedoms won and maintained by our Armed Forces - a three-day holiday to focus on our active duty men and women in uniform and to expressively show them our love and support.
Do you think Memorial Day should have its traditional day of observance restored? If so, should Armed Forces Day (presently the third Saturday of May) be converted to a 3-day weekend holiday in its place? Vote in our poll here. And if you do agree that Memorial Day should have its traditional day of observance restored, please take a moment to sign the petition that will be delivered to Congress, and invite your friends and family to do the same.

How can you help?

Write your Representative and your Senators, urging them to support bill S 70 (110th Congress). Ask them to co-sponsor the bill (especially your Representative, urge them to introduce the bill to the House).

Contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them to act upon the bill.

Sign the Petition in support of bill S 70 (110th Congress).

Write Mr. Inouye to let him know of your support.

Help spread the word: Contact your local newspaper, and your local TV and radio stations. Two online sources for finding contact info for your local newspaper, radio or tv news media are Kidon Media-Link and Zap2it | TV: Nets/Stations. Write letters to the editors or take out an ad. Direct readers to this website, , for more information.

If you are a member of a military/veteran organization, please consider bringing this matter to the attention of your fellow group members; urge them to sign the petition and to help spread the word.

Wear or display Memorial Day Stickers, Buttons and Magnets.

Do you have any ideas? Are you involved in local efforts to promote this cause? Please contact us to let us know what you are doing, or what ideas you may have to help further this cause:
David Merchant
U.S. Memorial Day Site Webmaster
30mayusmemorialday.org

Al Peterson, PDC
SUVCW
aepsuvcwcox.net

We need to teach our children the day's meaning. Show others by our actions that we will not forget. You don't have to believe in war to honor our family, friends and neighbors who died in service to their country.

Don't we owe our loved ones and friends who died in service to our country a restored Memorial Day?


History of the Senate and House bills for restoring the traditional observance of Memorial Day

Source: THOMAS (Library of Congress): https://thomas.loc.gov/
All Senate bills begin with "S.", while all House bills begin with "H.R."

101rst Congress: S.680
Title: A bill to restore the traditional observance of Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 3/17/1989
No cosponsors.
Latest Major Action: 3/17/1989 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

102nd Congress: S.115
Title: A bill to restore the traditional observance of Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/14/1991
Cosponsor: Sen Moynihan, Daniel Patrick [NY] on 2/26/1991 Latest Major Action: 1/14/1991 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

103rd Congress: S.119
Title: A bill to restore the traditional observance of Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/21/1993
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 1/21/1993 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

104th Congress: S.77 A bill to restore the traditional observance of Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/4/1995
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 1/4/1995 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

104th Congress: H.R.2603
To restore the traditional observance of Memorial Day.
Sponsor: Rep Frisa, Dan [NY-4]
Introduced 11/9/1995
Cosponsors:
Rep Barr, Bob [GA-7] on 11/14/1995
Rep Dornan, Robert K. [CA-46] on 11/14/1995
Rep Forbes, Michael P. [NY-1] on 11/14/1995
Rep Kelly, Sue W. [NY-19] on 11/14/1995
Rep Quinn, Jack [NY-30] on 7/31/1996
Rep Solomon, Gerald B. H. [NY-22] on 11/14/1995
Latest Major Action: 12/11/1995 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

105th Congress: S.116
A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/21/1997
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 1/21/1997 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

105th Congress: H.R. 2679
To restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day.
Sponsor: Rep Gibbons, Jim [NV-2]
Introduced 10/21/1997
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 10/29/1997 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Civil Service.

106th Congress: S.189
A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/19/1999
Cosponsor: Sen Grams, Rod [MN] on 2/2/2000
Latest Major Action: 1/19/1999 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

106th Congress: H.R.1474
To restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day.
Sponsor: Rep Gibbons, Jim [NV-2]
Introduced 4/19/1999
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 4/27/1999 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Civil Service.

107th Congress: S.61
A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/22/2001
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 1/22/2001 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

107th Congress: H.R.4855
To restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day.
Sponsor: Rep Gibbons, Jim [NV-2]
Introduced 6/4/2002
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 6/4/2002 - Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.

108th Congress: S.70
Title: A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/7/2003
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2003 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

109th Congress: S.80
Title: A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/24/2005
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 1/24/2005 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

110th Congress: S.70
Title: A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Mr. Reid for Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI]
Introduced 1/4/2007
No cosponsors
Latest Major Action: 1/4/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.



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Updated 22 May 2009



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