Page 4 The Shoreline May 2010
Memorial Day
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1865, a crowd of nearly 10,000 people, mainly African
American residents, gathered to honor those who had
perished during the war. But it was on May 5,1868, that
Union General John Logan proclaimed in his General
Order No. 11 that Decoration Day was to officially be
observed on May 30,1868. It was designated as a day
of remembrance honoring those who have given their
lives to preserve our freedom during the Civil War.
New York was the first state to officially recogmze
the day in 1873, and by 1890, it was recognized by all
of the northern states. Until the end of World War I,
the southern states did not recognize this holiday.
They honored their causalities on a variety of other
dates significant to the Confederacy. For example.
North Carolina observed May 10, marking the death
of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and the capture of
Jefferson Davis.
Good Friday Heroes
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Suddenly Chris sensed the two people in the water
were in trouble. Putting his computer aside and taking
off his sunglasses, he raced into the cold water. His
sister Kate, who initially thought cries coming from the
ocean were simply playful, realized the situation was
serious and reached for her cell phone to call 911. On
the third attempt, she got through to a 911 operator.
In the meantime, brother Jack raced to get the flotation
ring attached to a line, which usually hangs by the
steps for just such an emergency. Instead he had to
get one by the pool.
When Jack returned with the flotation ring, Chris
had managed to get the young boy to a spot where
he could touch bottom and was trying to assist the
woman. Jack dove in as well and tried to swim out to
help his brother save the woman, but was unable to
make much progress. Both he and his brother were
suffering themselves from the cold water and were
feeling the current's strong pull. Others were also
assisting—including an employee from the Whaler
Inn and a woman from Beachwalk, who went in with
a boogie board. Finally, the woman in distress was
able to grab the flotation ring and was pulled safely
ashore.
It's at this point that one Pine Knoll Shores public-
safety employee with one coimty paramedic came to
the site. They radioed in that everyone was out of the
water, calling off other assistance, and proceeded to
check with the victims who had just been rescued. No
one was taken to the hospital. A red flag was installed
to warn other potential swimmers of the riptide.
Thanks to the fast-action of three courageous young
people, what could have been a tragic Good Friday
event turned into a joyful Easter rescue.
In 1882, the name of the holiday we celebrate at the
end of May began to be referred to as Memorial Day
rather than Decoration Day. The common usage of this
new name did not come about until after World War II.
However, it wasn't until 1967 the name of the holiday
was officially declared to be Memorial Day.
The passage of the Uniform Holidays Bill on June 28,
1968 brought more changes. Three national holidays,
Washington's Birthday, Veterans Day and Memorial
Day were moved from their traditional dates to a
specified Monday to create a three day weekend. In
addition, the name of Washington's Birthday was
changed to Presidents' Day. It is notable that the
Veterans Day date was returned to its traditional date
of November 11 in 1978. Efforts to return Memorial Day
back to May 30 were not successful and this holiday
continues to be celebrated on the last Monday of May.
Thus, this year Memorial Day will be celebrated on
Monday, May 31.
This holiday has undergone more than a name and
date change. The original purpose of the day was to
honor those who were killed during the Civil War. With
the passage of time that original goal was expanded to
include all of those who have served the nation during
subsequent wars and conflicts. In short. Memorial Day
is the time we as a nation pay tribute to the young
men and women who have served to keep the ideals
of freedom and justice paramount in this country.
In fact. Memorial Day has become more than a day
of tribute to living and dead members of the military
and the weekend of the Indianapolis 500. For many
Americans it marks the beginning of the summer
vacation season. Those of us living here full-time
recognize Memorial Day weekend as one of the three
busiest days of the summer. Most of us look forward
to the weekend almost as much as we look forward to
June 1 when the traffic on Salter Path Road somewhat
diminishes.
From a personal perspective, if George Washington
relinquished naming rights to the February holiday
weekend now called Presidents Day, I can accept the
flexibility of Memorial Day date. After all, I continue
to remember May 30 as my mother's birthday and I
am able to actually view the Indy 500 on TV.
History of Memorial Day
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On May 5,1866, the residents of Waterloo, New York
held the first complete, community-wide observance
of Memorial Day. They
dedicated the entire day to
honoring the Civil War dead
in a solemn and patriotic
manner. Throughout the
village, flags, draped in
mourning, flew at half mast.
Ladies prepared wreaths and
bouquets for each veteran's
grave. Businesses closed, and
veterans, civic organizations
and townspeople marched to
the strains of martial music to
the village cemeteries. There,
with reverent prayers and patriotic ceremonies, the
tradition of Memorial Day was bom.
Henry C. Welles, a prominent citizen, first proposed
the idea for a day completely devoted to honorirlg the
HISTORIC NEW YORK.
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Civil War dead. General John B. Murray, the Seneca
County Clerk, who had commanded the 148th New
York Infantry Regiment in
the war, quickly advanced
the thought and marshaled
community support. Since
that year, Waterloo has
annually observed Memorial
Day. New York, in 1873,
became the first state to
proclaim Memorial Day, or
Decoration Day, as it was
originally called, a public
holiday.
In May, 1966, a joint
resolution by the United
States Congress and a proclamation by President
Lyndon B. Johnson officially recognized Waterloo as
the birthplace of Memorial Day.
Kayak for the Warriors Expands
By Jannette Pippin
An opportunity to either paddle or pedal is just
one of the ways the Town of Pine Knoll Shores is
expanding the Kayak for the Warriors event and its
goal of helping wounded service men and women
and their families.
A 5K and lOK bicycle ride have been added to the
event, which will be held June 12. The bike rides give
landlubbers or those who don't kayak an opportunity
to participate in the growing event that raises funds
for Hope for the Warriors, a nonprofit organization
established in 2006 to assist service members and
their families adversely affected by injuries or death
in the line of duty.
Kayakers and paddle boarders are invited to
participate in the 3.2-mile race or launch any paddle
worthy vessel into the water for the Family Fun
Race.
There's an awards presentation and lunch fest after
the race and a Friday night reception will kick off the
event and honor wounded warriors.
Town Manager Brian Kramer, a retired Marine
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