Memorial Day
MENIFEE – In 1866, the year following the end of the Civil War, more than 2-dozen small communities from the North and South, stretching into the Midwest, began honoring their fallen with local observances. Two years later in 1868, the first large national observance took place across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., at Arlington National Cemetary, which had become a national burial ground 4 years earlier. Approximately 5-thousand attended.
One-hundred and fifty-five years later, communities large and small nationwide, pause to observe those who have perished while serving the nation in the military.
Several thousand volunteers are slated to join together Saturday to erect miniature American flags at Riverside National Cemetery, with the objective of reaching all of the roughly 250,000 grave sites
to ensure those interred are honored this Memorial Day weekend.
The “Flag for Every Hero” event is slated for 8 a.m. to noon,
beginning with a brief ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater in the
middle of the cemetery.
“I pray we all remember the value of our contributions are not
measured by the number of flags we place but instead by our inclusion of a much
larger team,” said Brennan Leininger of the nonprofit Honoring Our Fallen.
“Accomplishing this large feat takes a lot of participation by many people,
doing many different things. Everyone’s involvement is critical to the success
of accomplishing this task. The emotional experience that results from
participating in this event is what it is all about.”
The City of Menifee will host a Memorial Day 5K race with all proceeds to benefit VFW Post 1956. The 5K, which is being professionally sanctioned by Finished Results, will begin at 7 a.m. at Central Park and will loop around the Paloma Wash Trail.
Following the race, Menifee will host a Memorial Day 5K race with all proceeds to benefit VFW Post 1956. The 5K, which is being professionally sanctioned by Finished Results, will begin at 7 a.m. at Central Park and will loop around the Paloma Wash Trail.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 888 and American Legion Post 595 will salute the veterans interned in Perris Valley Cemetery at 915 N Perris Boulevard. The names of each veteran will be read aloud beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday, with a program following at 9 a.m. Anyone who wishes to read names should contact timmoore@my556lmc.com.
As reported by the Veterans Administration, in December 2000, in an effort to ensure the purpose of the holiday is not forgotten, Congress passed and President Clinton signed “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.
The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada stated: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”
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