Memorial Day purpose has changed

Memorial Day number 152 has come and gone. The exact number varies as five different years and many different placed claim its origination. They are all connected to the Civil war, freeing slaves, and the horrendous casualties and destruction that resulted. President Johnson was the one who made it a national holiday, although not all of the states honor the day.

My first recall of Memorial Day was shortly before Pearl Harbor when families went to the cemeteries to honor ancestors in addition to Veterans. Afterwards, we had a picnic, viewed photographs and shared memories. The vast majority of graves had home grown flowers.

Memorial Day was changed to the last Monday in May so it would give workers another 3 day weekend. From World War II through the present saw a large increase in displaying flags. As World War II veterans have passed many cemeteries have seen a decrease in the number of graves that are visited.

This year I have seen the number of flags remain about the same, however I have seen a larger increase in the consumption of alcohol! Is this positive progress?

Gerald W. Ray, Spokane