More than 150 American flags were placed at veterans’ graves in All Saints Cemetery on May 23 as Boy Scouts from Troop 10 in Great Neck honored fallen service members ahead of Memorial Day.
“Memorial Day is not about the picnic, or the BBQ,” Panetta said. “Memorial Day is not even about the fireworks, a day off from school, or even the parade marching down Main Street.”
Instead, he said, the day is meant to honor military personnel who died in the line of duty.
“It is the one day we set aside to commemorate our fallen veterans who have given their lives in battle,” Panetta said. “It is a day where we thank our veterans and decorate their final resting place.”
During the May 23 event, Scouts placed flags at the gravesites of veterans from multiple wars and eras of service, including seven Civil War veterans, one Spanish-American War veteran and many veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Panetta said the tradition traces its roots to the years following the Civil War.
“Memorial Day started after the Civil War in 1868 when on Sundays, families would visit the graves of the fallen and decorate them,” he said. “For many years, it was called Decoration Day.”
He noted that in 1968, Decoration Day was moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May, and in 1971 the name officially changed to Memorial Day “in honor of all veterans who have fallen from all wars.”
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Source: LI Press
