The Hollow Ring of Memorial Day

Memorial Day has become synonymous with the unofficial start of summer – a time for barbecues, beach trips, and retail therapy. But beneath this commercialized facade lies a profound original purpose: honoring fallen service members. For those who have lost loved ones in combat, the day carries a weight that cannot be alleviated by sales or specials.

Manuel Castañeda Jr., a US Marine veteran whose father perished in Vietnam, poignantly captures the sentiment shared by many. “It isn’t just the specials,” he said. “It isn’t just the barbecue.” This sense of disillusionment has been echoed throughout history – and it’s not just a matter of individuals lamenting the commercialization of Memorial Day.

The holiday itself is rooted in the American Civil War, which claimed over 600,000 service members between 1861 and 1865. The first national observance, then called Decoration Day, took place on May 30, 1868, after Union veterans called for decorating war graves with flowers. However, there are competing claims to the holiday’s birthplace – a story that highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding Memorial Day.

Charleston, South Carolina, is often cited as the site of the first Memorial Day observance, where as many as 10,000 people, including Black citizens, held a parade, heard speeches, and dedicated the graves of Union dead on May 1, 1865. However, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, also claims to have begun its own observance in October 1864.

The commercialization of Memorial Day is nothing new. As early as 1869, The New York Times warned that the holiday could become “sacrilegious” if it focused too much on pomp and circumstance. Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist and orator, expressed similar concerns in a Decoration Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery in 1871. “We must never forget,” he said, “that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and its destroyers.”

Douglass’s words are particularly poignant when considering how Memorial Day has become “white Memorial Day” in many communities, especially after the rise of the Jim Crow South. Historian Ben Railton notes that even though roughly 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army, their contributions and experiences were often ignored.

The evolution of Memorial Day is a complex tale of how the nation’s remembrance of its fallen service members has been shaped by various historical events and cultural forces. With the addition of Armistice Day (now Veterans Day), which marked World War I’s end in 1918, Memorial Day’s potency began to wane. The creation of the three-day weekend in 1971 – a move that recognized the holiday’s transformation into a more generic remembrance of the dead – has been criticized for diminishing its original purpose.

Today, Memorial Day is deeply intertwined with sales and travel. While it’s easy to blame businesses for exploiting the holiday, the reality is more nuanced. Grave ceremonies have always been followed by leisure activities, such as picnicking and foot races – a trend that only intensified with the rise of mass transportation and the automobile.

The story of Memorial Day is one of conflicting narratives – of competing claims to its origins, of shifting cultural contexts, and of commercialization. As we observe this holiday, it’s essential to acknowledge both the profound original purpose behind Memorial Day and the ways in which it has been shaped by history. Honoring the fallen service members requires more than just a moment of silence or a sale – it demands a deeper understanding of their sacrifices and contributions.

Ultimately, Memorial Day’s hollow ring is not merely a result of commercialization but also a symptom of our collective inability to confront the complexities of war and its impact on society. As we go about our summer plans, let us remember that there are still names etched in hallowed memory – names that cannot be replaced by discounts or travel deals.