To commemorate the men and women who served in the Armed Forces of the United States throughout its 250 years, on Monday, flags will fly, veterans will march, bands will play, twirlers will twirl, community organizations will stride, fire trucks will toot their horns, antique cars will cruise, uniformed children will glad-handedly toss candy to onlookers, guns will fire, speeches will be offered, and Americans will remember the sacrifices generations of patriots have made.
One hundred sixty years ago, the first Memorial Day—originally known as Decoration Day—took place a year after General Robert E. Lee’s surrender of Confederate forces to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the four bloody, heart-breaking years of America’s Civil War.
The History of Decoration Day
Although Michigan’s local towns began Decoration Day celebrations as early as the late 1860s, the first observance might have taken place on April 25, 1866, when the women of Columbus, Mississippi, brought flowers to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who died at the battle at Shiloh. They glanced across the cemetery at the neglected graves of Union soldiers and decided to decorate them, too.
Two years later, on May 5, 1868, an organization of Union veterans known as the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) established Decoration Day as the official day to remember and decorate the graves of fallen heroes. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan chose May 30 as Decoration Day, probably because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first national celebration was held that day at the new Arlington National Cemetery, on the grounds of Arlington Mansion, once the home of Robert E. Lee. General Grant presided over the ceremonies, and children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Homes marched with GAR members through the cemetery, decorating both Union and Confederate graves.
After World War I, Decoration Day was expanded to honor all Americans who died in wars, but not until 1971 did Congress officially declare Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May.
Michiganders have many military lives to honor this Memorial Day.
Michigan Citizens Who Served and Died
Despite living so far from the battlefields, 90,000 Michigan residents—nearly one-quarter of all males—served during the Civil War (1861-1865), in the Union’s infantry, cavalry, navy, sharpshooting units, engineer corps, or as members of the state’s Black and indigenous units. Nearly 14,800 died from wounds or diseases. Dexter erected its Civil War monument in 1898, “in memory of the heroes who fought and the martyrs who died that the republic might live.”
No official count exists for the number of Michigan soldiers who died in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), but historians estimate that of the 4,200 military deaths, as many as 150 were from Michigan regiments.
Inspired by Rough Rider Theodore Roosevelt, 4,119 Americans enlisted to fight in the Spanish-American War (April to August 1898). As many as 3,000 died, 400 in combat, the rest from tropical diseases and camp illnesses. Among them were 209 Michigan soldiers and sailors.
Nearly 4.8 million Americans served during World War I (1917-1918), with 2.8 million deployed overseas in the American Expeditionary Forces; 135,000 of them hailed from Michigan. An estimated 5,000 Michiganders lost their lives during those 19 months. In total, the United States suffered 116,500 casualties during that war—enough to completely fill the University of Michigan’s Big House.
During World War II, 16.4 million Americans served in the Armed Forces; 407,316 of them lost their lives. Michigan sent 613,543 men into the service and its number of military deaths ranked seventh by state (12,885). The 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Division, composed of Michigan and Wisconsin National Guardsmen, were the first U.S. troops to deploy and see combat. They set the record for the longest continuous combat deployment of any American division.
During the Korean War era (1950– 1953), 5.7 million U.S. military personnel served globally; 1.79 million of them went to Korea. Killed in action were 36,570 Americans; 103,280 were wounded. Of the 223,000 Michigan residents serving during this era, 1,242 were killed in action.
More than 2.7 million Americans served during the Vietnam War in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia(1955-1975), 400,000 from Michigan; 2,597 of those men and women were killed or declared missing in action. The names of these fallen service members are honored on the Michigan Vietnam Veterans Monument, a 120-foot steel arc in front of Michigan’s Hall of Justice in Lansing. The Washtenaw County Vietnam Memorial stands in Ypsilanti.
Between 1.9 million and 3 million U.S. troops deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and related theaters—and more than one-third of them deployed multiple times. Forty-five Michiganders died in Afghanistan; 159 died in Iraq.
Although there have been no official reports of Michigan service members dying in Iran this year, several U.S. troops with ties to our state died serving in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Operation Epic Fury.
Local Memorial Day Celebrations
Dexter’s Memorial Day Parade marchers and floats process down Dexter-Ann Arbor Road and end at the Civil War memorial in Monument Park, where wreaths will be laid and speeches made. Originally organized by the local American Legion, since 2013, the Rotary Club of Dexter has been the sponsor. The parade will begin at 10 a.m., on Monday.
American Legion Post #322 sponsors Saline’s parade, which also begins at 10 a.m., starting on the corner of Harris and US-12 and proceeding down Michigan Avenue to Oakwood Cemetery. Following a tribute offered by military officers and public officials, the Legion offers observers a free lunch at the Legion Hall (320 Michigan Ave.).
Milan’s Memorial Day ceremony will take place at the Marble Park Cemetery (520 W. Main St, Milan) at 9 a.m. Steven Cummings will be the guest speaker and Grand Marshal. Following the ceremony, a parade will begin at the cemetery, continue toward the Veterans Wall at Wilson’s Park, and conclude with an additional ceremony there.
Sponsored by the Herbert J. McKune American Legion Post 31A, the Chelsea Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. Monday. Marchers will process through the downtown and into Oak Grove Cemetery for a remembrance ceremony.
In recognition of Memorial Day, proper flag etiquette requires flying the flag at half-staff from sunrise to noon, and then raising it to full staff from noon until sunset, symbolizing a reaffirmation of patriotism.
Every town has stories of veterans who served their country in times of war. This year, on our website, the Sun Times News will feature stories of eight Chelsea high school friends who fought across Omaha Beach on D-Day 1944 and a ninth who flew a bomber attacking German installations behind the beach.
Featured photo: Veterans march through downtown Chelsea during the 2024 Memorial Day Parade, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Communities across the region will gather again this Memorial Day for parades, ceremonies and remembrance. Photo by Carleen Nelson -Nesvig
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