A Very Special "Investment"

May 26, 2006 - No, I haven't grown a mustache or fired my barber, nor have I changed my mode of dress. The portrait above, that I have chosen for this column, is that of General John A. Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, who officially proclaimed Declaration Day, as it was known then (and when I was a kid), on May 5, 1868, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

So, when you're enjoying the cookout, the parades and the inevitable sporting events, keep in mind why we celebrate this holiday. It is too often forgotten that this is a very solemn memorial.

We will celebrate Memorial Day in Clifton this weekend, as we have in the past, with a glorious display of American flags on the City Hall grounds, memorializing those men and women of Clifton who served our country in the armed forces. It is a tribute to all those dedicated individuals who gave of their energies and, in some cases, their very lives to keep America free & safe from harm. In this troubled time, we remember their sacrifice & what it has meant to our community. Today, young men and women are serving in distant lands to preserve the extraordinary "experiment" created by our gifted Founding Fathers nearly 230 years ago.

The "investment" to which I refer is a mere $100, the price of an American flag to be added to those already on display every Memorial Day, as well as Flag Day, July 4th, Labor Day & Veterans' Day. Check the ad that appears in this issue of Clifton Insider & invest in keeping alive & visible for all to see, the spirit of the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Next column, we'll get back to the business of investing for the future, but for today I prefer to recommend an investment in memory of those who enabled our present.