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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on our region's history coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society.
Today, we celebrate Memorial Day, one of the two official holidays in the country that acknowledges the commitment of American military personnel.
Unlike Veterans Day, which celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, Memorial Day is specifically dedicated to honoring those who lost their lives while serving their country.
As we enjoy cookouts, parades, and the unofficial start of summer, let's take a moment to appreciate the history of the holiday.
Memorial Day began as "Decoration Day." In the late 1860s, following the Civil War, towns and cities across the nation were mourning the loss of more than 620,000 military personnel, roughly 2 percent of the total population at that time. This resulted in the creation of the country's first national cemeteries.
Even before the end of the war, loved ones began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. The exact birthplace of this tradition is unclear. As early as 1864, notable early commemorations took place in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; and Columbus, Mississippi. On May 5, 1866, Waterloo, New York closed its businesses and decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.
A century later, in 1966, the federal government recognized Waterloo as the official birthplace of Memorial Day because of this organized community-wide event. In 1868, General John A. Logan, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, petitioned for a nationwide day of remembrance, calling it Decoration Day. He stated, "The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land."
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield delivered a speech at Arlington National Cemetery where 5,000 attendees adorned the graves of 20,000 soldiers. For decades, observations continued on May 30. After World War I, the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, and the name "Memorial Day" grew in popularity.
In 1968, Congress proposed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays, including moving Memorial Day to the last Monday in May. The change took effect in 1971, and it has been observed on this day ever since.
Kinsman American Legion Harry Lees Post No. 506 carries on the tradition of decorating gravesites as part of its commitment to supporting patriotism in the community. Organized in 1921, American Legion Post 506 was named in memory of Harry Lees of Kinsman, who was killed in active duty in World War I.
With about 70 members, and only a small percentage currently active, the Kinsman American Legion takes on the sizable task of decorating all of the veteran graves in Kinsman, Vernon, and Gustavus cemeteries with flags from the VA. The Kinsman Cemetery alone holds 534 veteran graves, dating back to the Civil War. The township does not stop there, also decorating Main Street with flags. This undertaking is funded by the generosity of local businesses, community members, and fundraising events like their monthly pancake breakfast.
For many people in town, summer does not start until the flags come out. They will remain in place until the fall, and given out the following year to members of the community who can take pride in knowing it had flown over the grave of a local veteran. Two veterans of the Kinsman American Legion recently have hit notable milestones. Member and World War II veteran Bill Alfonsi celebrated his 100th birthday.
Phil Panak commemorated 70 years of membership in the American Legion, and he still was flipping pancakes in his 90s. When speaking with Greg Leonhard, Commander of Post No. 506, the passion he feels for civil responsibility is clearly evident. The people we celebrate on Memorial Day, who died in combat, died for an American way of life, and although not everyone can be a veteran, we all have a duty to be involved in our community.
He went on to say the "American Legion is a driving force in sustaining the memories of what our patriotic holidays -- Flag Day, 4th of July, Veterans Day, Memorial Day -- stand for." Membership Chair, Virginia Logan, is in charge of the Memorial Day service in Kinsman Town Center at 11 am. The program consists of songs, prayer and speakers, including two local students reciting the Gettysburg Address and salute to the Unknown Soldier; all with the purpose of recognizing sacrifice and commitment of service.
They are always looking for new members, as well as looking to gather information from relatives of veterans, about their service. Logan explains that the veterans of the Vietnam War and later conflicts can be resistant to participate because of the political aspects involved. However, Logan says that the American Legion works hard to stay out of politics.
"We don't want anything to get in the way of our main focus, which is supporting veterans and promoting American values." Support for the American Legion helps make accessibility improvements to the building, aids student civic programs, and above all else, supports veterans in need in the community.
More information can be found on Facebook at "Kinsman American Legion Harry Lees Post #506."
Straub is the reference and adult services librarian at the Kinsman Free Public Library.