ALAMOSA — At a Memorial Day service at the Alamosa Cemetery on May 27, Veterans and others assembled to honor those who gave service and life to the nation.
Monte Collins, Commander of the Alamosa American Legion, presided over the ceremony and reflected upon the solemn day stating, "It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the politician who has given us the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
At Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, President Biden said, “Today, we once again gather in this sacred place, at this solemn hour, to honor fallen heroes, to once again stand amid the rows and rows of marble stones and bear witness to the brave women and men who served and sacrificed for our freedom and for our future; those who died so our nation might live.”
Memorial Day has its origins in the post-Civil War period when the organization of Union Veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate graves of the war dead. Today, this is recognized as Memorial Day.
Before an 1868 gathering of about 5,000 people at Arlington National Cemetery, James A. Garfield honored Veterans with these words, "For love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism, and their virtue." Garfield too, would give his life for his country when, as president, he was killed by an assassin's bullet in 1881.
In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. At the time, Johnson said, "On this Memorial Day, as we honor the memory of brave men who have borne our colors in war, we pray to God for His mercy. We pray for the wisdom to find a way to end this struggle of nation against nation, of brother against brother. We pray that soon we may begin to build the only true memorial to man's valor in war, a sane and hopeful environment for the generations to come."
In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday.
In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, calling upon the American people to truly reflect on the ultimate sacrifice for which our heroes in uniform have given to preserve freedom and liberty for generations to come. Specifically, the law encourages Americans to pause in a moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. This act – giving one minute of collective silence – to honor fallen service members is a simple, yet meaningful way to stand in solidarity with our fellow citizens, the fallen heroes and the loved ones they left behind. As the legislation says, “The relevance of Memorial Day must be made more apparent to present and future generations of people of the United States through local and national observances and ongoing activities.”
Monte Collins with The American Legion noted that American’s have honored Memorial Day since 1868. The Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic Veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest wartime Veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow service members and Veterans.
Memorial Day services were held across the Valley, including Homelake in Monte Vista and in Creede.
