The practice of decorating soldier's graves hearkens back to the times of ancient Greece and Rome.
The first reported instance of a similar memorial tribute in America was during the early days of the Civil War - June 3, 1861 - in Warrenton, near the nation's capital. In 1862, Confederate soldiers' graves were decorated in Savannah, Ga., and a cemetery dedication was held that year in Gettysburg, Pa.
After President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, decorating graves became a custom for many Americans. The Civil War had resulted in more than 620,000 deaths on both sides of the battle. That year, the government introduced national military cemeteries for fallen Union troops. Honoring the fallen took on a new cultural significance.
In 1868, Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization in Illinois, declared May 30 as "Decoration Day." Some say he chose that date because there was no Civil War battle anniversary that fell on that day, but others think it's because flowers would be in bloom across the country.
The federal holiday of "Memorial Day" wasn't official until May 26, 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the last Monday of May as the observance date.
The practice of "barbecues" or picnics on Memorial weekend is thought to originate from when families would gather for Decoration Days. Often, people traveled from great distances for the event, and there were typically religious services and a picnic. These events were like family reunions for a community.
In the same spirit, Americans today should take some time during cookouts or other holiday weekend festivities to recall the memory of someone - a battle buddy, a parent, a relative, or a prior member of their military unit - who died in service to their country.
From a Team Lee perspective, we can honor the sacrifice of many past sustainers including three individuals who earned Medals of Honor for their heroic actions in battle. Each of them has a Fort Lee military facility dedicated to them.
Gibson Hall, one of the installation's dining facilities, honors Technician Fifth Grade Eric G. Gibson, a quartermaster Soldier who served as a company cook with the 30th Infantry Regiment during World War II. He was involved in the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Anzio Beach landing and the charge up the Italian peninsula.
His Medal of Honor citation recalls the events of Jan. 28, 1944, when his company came under attack and Gibson mobilized a squad of replacements to shore up the unit's right flank. In doing so, they destroyed four enemy positions. The Soldier continued ahead of his squad and single-handedly knocked out another position with his machine pistol.
He kept moving forward toward other bunkers when the enemy began to zero in on him. Refusing to stop, he crawled another 125 meters, dropped two grenades into a German machine-gun emplacement, killing two and wounding another. He was mortally wounded during one final face-to-face engagement.
Fort Lee's Whittingon Parade Field, located on the Ordnance Campus, is named in honor of Maj. Hulon Whittington. He enlisted in the Army in August of 1940 and was recognized for his bravery many times. He earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 29, 1944, while attached to the 41st Armored Infantry, 2nd Armored Division, near Grimesnil, France.
After an enemy attack overtook several American outposts, then-Sgt. Whittington reworked the defense and checked his troops' gun positions while under intense gunfire. He mounted a tank and created a roadblock after firing pointblank at the lead German tank. This stopped all enemy movement and allowed Sgt. Whittington to lead a bayonet charge. Additionally, after the medic died in action, he administered first aid to his troops.
Whittington was commissioned after the war and earned the rank of major in 1960. After having a heart attack while serving in Vietnam as an ordnance advisor, he had to retire. He died in 1969 at 47 years old.
Long-time Fort Lee members will likely recognize the name of Sgt. William Seay, a transporter who died during an ambush in Vietnam on Aug. 25, 1968. Well before the Transportation Corps relocated to Fort Lee, the parade field in front of the Quartermaster School headquarters - the former Mifflin Hall - was named in honor of Seay. After the new CASCOM headquarters was built on top of the field and the old school headquarters was torn down, the parade field next to the new facility was similarly named in honor of the brave Soldier.
Seay earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on Aug. 25, 1968. While traveling in a convoy of 81 vehicles at a speed of 20 mph, the group came under enemy fire while passing through the village of Ap Nhi. The lead 30 trucks managed to escape, however, the rest were trapped by two fuel tankers that were set on fire by the enemy. Seay and another Soldier took cover behind the trailers and fought back. Seay left his cover twice to return thrown hand grenades. He was wounded in his wrist but continued to fight until he died from loss of blood. He was 19 years old.
What other brave accounts are out there in our individual worlds?
That is a question worth exploring this Memorial Day weekend. As a community existing within the framework of military service and its accompanying honor and tradition, all of us should recognize the obligation to never forget the heroic deeds of those who sacrificed their lives in the defense of this nation. Let us decorate our hearts and minds with their memory in addition to enjoying family and community activities this weekend.
(Information about the three Medal of Honor awardees was gathered from the corps' museums and foundations.)
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