Official NameMemorial Day
(originally "Decoration Day")
Observed
Monday, May 25, 2009
(always the last Monday in May)
Free Download
The Vacant Chair
(recorded by Matthew Sabatella; words by Henry S. Washburn; music by George F. Root)
The Vacant Chair
(recorded by Matthew Sabatella; words by Henry S. Washburn; music by George F. Root)
This song was written during the American Civil War at Thanksgiving time in 1861,as families in the North and South gathered for holiday celebrations and found themselves staring at "the vacant chair." The song was one of the most widely sung during the Civil War, popular among soldiers and civilians in both the North and South.
Song lyrics are at the end of this post.
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About Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the 1.2 million men and women who have died in the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War. In the 1860s, during and after the American Civil War, many towns and communities gathered to honor fallen soldiers. This movement culminated with General John Logan's proclamation on May 5, 1868 that Decoration Day (as it was originally called) be observed nationwide. On May 30 of the same year, the first large observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery, and the tombs of fallen Union and Confederate soldiers were decorated with flowers in remembrance.
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the 1.2 million men and women who have died in the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War. In the 1860s, during and after the American Civil War, many towns and communities gathered to honor fallen soldiers. This movement culminated with General John Logan's proclamation on May 5, 1868 that Decoration Day (as it was originally called) be observed nationwide. On May 30 of the same year, the first large observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery, and the tombs of fallen Union and Confederate soldiers were decorated with flowers in remembrance.
For years, many of the states in the U.S. South honored their dead on separate days, refusing to celebrate Decoration Day. After World War I the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war. The name Memorial Day was first used in 1882, became common after World War II, and was declared
the official name by Federal law in 1967. The National Holiday Act of 1971, ensuring a three-day weekend for Federal holidays, moved the official date to the last Monday in May.
Traditional ways to observe Memorial Day include visiting cemetaries and memorials and flying the flag of the United States at quarter-staff from dawn until noon local time. Towns and communities often have ceremonies and parades in honor of local residents who have paid the ultimate price. Fire and police departments frequently honor their members who have lost their lives in the line of duty as well.
It may be argued that observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the National Moment of Remembrance resolution was passed in December, 2000. It asks that at 3:00PM local time, all Americans "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps."
the official name by Federal law in 1967. The National Holiday Act of 1971, ensuring a three-day weekend for Federal holidays, moved the official date to the last Monday in May.
Traditional ways to observe Memorial Day include visiting cemetaries and memorials and flying the flag of the United States at quarter-staff from dawn until noon local time. Towns and communities often have ceremonies and parades in honor of local residents who have paid the ultimate price. Fire and police departments frequently honor their members who have lost their lives in the line of duty as well.
It may be argued that observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the National Moment of Remembrance resolution was passed in December, 2000. It asks that at 3:00PM local time, all Americans "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps."
Still, some contend that observance of the holiday has suffered from "three-day weekend" mentality, and there is a movement to restore the traditional day of observance for Memorial Day back to May 30th. For more information on the issue, visit USMemorialDay.org.
Music of Memorial DayMost patriotic songs are appropriate for Memorial Day, especially songs that depict the service of soldiers and remember those who lost their lives. Every war in the history of the United States has yielded songs that honor fallen soldiers.
The Vacant Chair
chorus:
We shall meet but we shall miss him
There will be one vacant chair
We shall linger to caress him
When we breathe our evening prayer
verses:
We shall meet but we shall miss him
There will be one vacant chair
We shall linger to caress him
While we breathe our evening prayer
When a year ago we gathered
Joy was in his mild blue eye
But a golden chord is severed
And our hopes in ruin lie
At our fireside, sad and lonely
Often will the bosom swell
At remembrance of the story
How our noble Willie fell
How he strove to bear our banner
Through the thickest of the fight
And uphold our country’s honor
In the strength of manhood’s night
True, they tell us wreaths of glory
Ever more will deck his brow
But this soothes the anguish only
Sweeping o’er our heartstrings now
Sleep today, oh early fallen
In thy green and narrow bed
Dirges from the pine and cypress
Mingle with the tears we shed
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