California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who
have died in our nation's service.
 
History
Declaration Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 three years after the Civil War
by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. In
General Order No. 11, the day was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were
placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it
was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day,
honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed
from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who
died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated on the last Monday in May (passed by
Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363).
 
Red Poppies
In 1915, American, Moina Michaels conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial
Day stimulated by the poem ‘In Flander’s Field”  written by a Canadian Army Colonel
during World War I in honor of those who died serving their nation during war. She was
the first to wear one and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money
going to benefit servicemen in need. The effort was embraced by the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, VFW and for Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization
to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their program was selling artificial poppies
made by disabled veterans. Revenue from the sale of the poppies provide compensation to
the veterans who assemble the poppies, along with financial assistance in maintaining
state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports
the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nation's veterans.
 
In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National
Poppy movement by issuing a stamp with her likeness on it. 
 
Honoring those Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice
Today we honor the nearly 1.2 million Americans who have given their lives in fighting
for the rights, liberties and freedoms provided to the citizens and visitors of our
nation. 
 
To ensure the sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December
2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment
of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on 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.

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.