Page 4 The Shoreline May 2010 Memorial Day Continued from page 1 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 Continued from page 1 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 \\\1' 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. MEMORIAL DAY fSti W«* 3 *«*>. W0lprks> frW thf obMTvwt. >• nf •««»* *•» 0 hu-Mrtna W 0»i* »»«■ » *o»r«n» rmirtotk auMfm Thr*»*jhout 4IW Orw h*lf ■••t Lid*ui«»eW wpxnthc Hiirl iMjiuiufU *or rach tUtunt*^ uotr*. vjewiB.*. fv1c iM»l to ^ of mu«ic to tbt* vjji**!** ewaM'tVr* TlM»a. vHh rrrrfwil th« '►wirM 0»y iKWfc fteWTT C. WclkS*. ft r-tCiy»*. t>W wnttaflMTioBr br *• crffWi-MT »cec^ nt the McBtc»rii*5 ri«y 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 Continued on page 8