Happy Birthday America! Fun facts about July 4th.

America’s 237th Independence Day is almost here and even though this is by no means my first time in the States on this glorious day it does bring me a lot of excitement since this time I will be seeing someone special for me, my Marine.  

While preparing to see my Marine I wondered:  how much do I really know about what we are celebrating?

With the Declaration of Independence the 13 colonies embarked on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation.   Here I share with you some if not fun, unusual facts about this important date:

• The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.

• The Liberty Bell was rung not on July 4, 1776, but on July 8, 1776, from the tower of Independence Hall summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon. When it was rung in honor of George Washington’s birthday in 1846, it cracked irreparably. 
• Fireworks are believed to have developed out of military rockets. In the European Middle Ages, the military pressed fireworks experts into service to conduct celebrations of victory and peace.
• The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official event occurred on August 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it.  The last signature on the Declaration of Independence, by Thomas McKean of Delaware, wasn’t placed on the document until long after the original Declaration of Independence was signed, in January, 1777. 
• The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.
•  The melody for "The Star-Spangled Banner" was taken from “To Anacreon in Heaven,” a drinking song of a London society. Click here to listen to the anthem played by the US Army Bands.
• The English word "barbecue" came from the Arawak Indians of the Caribbean. The barbacoa was a grating of green wood upon which strips of meat were placed to cook or to dry over a slow fire.

• Upon her husband’s death in 1776, Betsy Ross took over the family upholstering business. It was there where George Washington asked Ross to design and make a flag for the new nation.
• The first unofficial flag of the United States was hoisted at Prospect Hill in Charlestown in Massachusetts on January 1, 1776, and was called the Continental Colours or, incorrectly, as the Grand Union Flag.
• June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, looking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”
• The tablet held by in the Statue of Liberty's left hand bears the date July 4, 1776, but the statue itself was presented to the U.S. by France on July 4, 1884. It was dedicated two years later, on October 28, 1886, by President Grover Cleveland.
• The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who provided meat to the US Army. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam”. This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.
•  In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

A twist  for me is that this time I will be able to celebrate it the American way! so I'm making sure I pack my sun lotion and get ready for barbecues and beverages with my boyfriend to commemorate the birth of America and the approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776!

How to Honor Our Military on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an appropriate day to reflect with your family about the things you have and remember those who sacrificed for it but also, remember those who went beyond and fight for and in another land in the name of peace. 

These are some ideas for you to honor the fallen:

1. Wear a yellow ribbon :)
2. Visit a military cemetery. Put flowers, ribbons, or American flags on the fallen’s graves.
3. Fly an American flag and or the POW/MIA flag in your yard at half mast to honor the memory of fallen.
4. Take a moment of silence during your busy day to observe the military families who have lost a loved one to war.
5. Write thank you letters for currently serving military or veterans for their service to protecting the country and community members.
6. Ask your local newspaper editor to include a list of names on Memorial Day of fallen in your community.
7. Visit a military museum or historic military site.
8. Organize a community-wide observance to honor the military in your community who have served or who are currently serving.
9. Change your Facebook profile picture to an American flag in honor of the military.
10. Tell others why you are thankful for the military by using the hashtag #RememberThem on Twitter or Instagram.
11. Volunteer from babysitting children to cooking a meal for a military family in your community.
12. Hold a donation fundraiser for your community’s veterans’ hospital.
13. Adopt a Hero.
14. Volunteer with the Red Cross or Fisher House. 
15. Educate yourself on the needs of returning military and educate your community on these needs. Make sure that your community is accurately meeting veteran needs. The Community Blueprint has many educational resources.
16. Get involved with the Got Your 6 Campaign.
17. Offer to buy a meal when you see a military member  in line.
18. Join a Memorial Day Parade planning committee. Volunteer your time to help keep the spirit of the holiday alive. 
19. Send much-needed gifts, foods, and supplies to the families of the fallen. Many lives have been lost to keep America safe. Many families have sacrificed their loved ones for the cause. Repay these families by contacting the local reserve base near you and asking how you can help. Contact the Girl Scout Council and other civic organizations that regularly support the families left behind.
20. Get involved with organizations like Honor The Fallen Foundation. 
21. Write a Memorial Day speech. Give the speech at your school, church, civic organization, at a parade, or to friends and family as you gather. Write about what the day of remembrance means to you and the families of the fallen.
22. Support memorials in your area. 
23. Offer a mass at your church in honor to the fallen.
24. Participate at the Soldiers Angel's initiative Fallen But Not Forgotten Facebook Memorial where they will honor the fallen with a Virtual Memorial Wall. Send a photo and short bio of your Hero, and they'll post it to their Facebook page as a reminder to the community that Freedom IS NOT free. The  followers will have the opportunity to leave messages of love and thanks to the photos on their Facebook wall; they may also use the photos to pull together a Memorial Day Photo Slideshow. 
25. Educate, educate and educate. Educate your children on the importance of observing Memorial Day and the dedicated service of military men and women.

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy, forget in time, that men have died to win them."

Franklin D. Roosevelt

How are you honoring the fallen for Memorial Day?

References:

Miller, Luci. "16 Ways to Honor Our Military on Memorial Day" Hands on Blog, May 22, 2012. http://handsonblog.org/2012/05/22/16-ways-to-honor-our-military-on-memorial-day/Ehow contributor "How to Honor a Fallen Soldier" Ehow hom. http://www.ehow.com/how_2154936_honor-fallen-soldier-memorial-day.html

Memorial Day

Why do some people say "Happy Memorial Day?" This was something that intrigued me. I'm not American therefore I did not have a clear understanding of what this day meant...but the man I love is a Marine so I have decided I needed to understand what this date means.  

Memorial Day was formerly know as Decoration Day, it has a big importance to the American people since this is the day for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It was originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars.

So, is that happy? is that a day we/they should celebrate?  Confusion is playing a role here.  Some may think that it is a day for honoring everyone on active duty or all living veterans.  I read in About.com that Memorial day was a "great time to honor our veterans and famous Americans".  This is not veterans day.  This is the day to remember the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives and friends who put on their uniform and went to war and didn’t return alive. 

The first Decoration Day was 30 May 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War.  Gen. John A. Logan, U.S. Army, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, initiated the day of remembrance.  He ordered that all Army posts decorate the graves of fallen Civil War comrades with flowers and a "suitable ceremony," and that flags be flown at half mast until noon. Since the late 1950s on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the U.S. Army has placed small American flags at each of the quarter-million-plus graves in Arlington National Cemetery.  The Army also stands guard in the cemetery through Memorial Day to ensure that the flags remain in place.  

At present, Americans are encouraged to visit military memorials and to fly flags at half mast until noon.  They also are asked to fly the relatively new "POW/MIA" flag, per the 1998 Defense Authorization Act.  Further, all Americans are asked to participate in a "Moment of Remembrance" at 3:00 pm and pledge to aid the families of the honored dead.

     

For those in the military community, they remember their friends and family members. I'm in the military community but there is no one for me to remember.  What would be my responsibility as my Marines girlfriend?  I came to the conclusion that the best way would be for me to live the day and honor the men and women who gave it all for their believes, those that my beloved boyfriend shares; his brothers and sisters in arms, those who gave it all for peace. 

This day was designated as a day of reflection but it has also become associated with sales, a day off and as the first day of summer.  

How wrong is it? To celebrate in a day like this?  A family gathered at a BBQ, sharing a meal, stories, kids playing. I can't think of a better way to honor the fallen, not celebrating the day but what resulted of their sacrifice, freedom and peace.

"A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle" 

George William Curtis

Military Appreciation Month

I continue to rumble on my clumsy steps to learn more about what my Marine does. I'm so sorry I did not know May was the month for military appreciation.  In fact, May seems to be a very busy month for the military, sort of speaking.

Military members have a difficult job that requires a lot of commitment and discipline.  They sometimes don't have all the basics while on their missions, away from their families; just cut out of the world for several months.   There are definitively people with very stressing jobs but few deal with the stress of ensuring their own safety and others at the same time.

What makes this month remarkable is that it is THAT special time to show our gratitude for the men and women who serve in the armed forces.  It began in 1999 when the Senate first passed a resolution in designating National Military Appreciation Month. That declaration summoned U.S. citizens to observe the month "in a symbol of unity, … to honor the current and former members of the armed forces, including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom and peace."

Traditionally, May has focused on the military in many ways. For example, Public Service Recognition Week, celebrated the first full Monday through Sunday in May since 1985, recognizes the roles of public servants, including the military, at local, state, regional and federal levels. Communities in all the United States showcase military equipment and service members from U.S. installations. The largest PSRW event takes place on Washington's National Mall, where more than 100 federal agencies, including the military services, put their activities, people and equipment on public display.

Armed Forces Day, created in 1949, is an annual event held on the third Saturday in May, with activities at U.S. military bases around the world.

The month finishes with Memorial Day, a federal holiday on the last Monday in May. Each year on Memorial Day, the White House Commission on Remembrance promotes one minute of silence at 3 p.m. local time to honor the military's fallen comrades and to pay tribute to the sacrifices by the nation's service members and veterans.

As an outsider I can tell you that one of the things that make the US Military so great is how the civilians show respect, care and support for the troops.   They are self-conscious of where their troops are and what they do.  I've see a lot of ignorance about military in other countries were the pride is only carried by the service members.  Where I live they are not fans of the Americans so me trying to support the American troops, even though they are allies, was not going to work.  So I thought about doing something for their troops but people just don't care, even though they do have military deployed in Afghanistan and other countries. 

I’m going to show my appreciation! -even if I look like a crazy woman with a flag of the US on European soil- lol.

Here are some ideas on how to show your appreciation:

1. Offer to help the family of a deployed service member in your community. A small gesture such as mowing the grass, cooking a meal, taking care of a pet or babysitting the kids goes a long way.
2. Extend your hand and say thanks. Simply acknowledging their service and thanking them personally means a great deal.  My Marine's face lights up every time. 
3. Make a donation of money or time to a military organization or Family Readiness Group in your area. A financial or in-kind gift helps the mission abroad by supporting the families at home.  

And finally, I will send my Marine an email with a nice picture and a kiss.

THANK YOU!




References:
Harper, Gene. "May is National Military Appreciation Month", About.com. http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/milappreciation.htm