Church Hosting Special Memorial Day Program In Buffalo Grove

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Kingswood United Methodist Church will be hosting a special Memorial Day program Monday in Buffalo Grove. The free event is open to the public and is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

Organizers said the program will "acknowledge the dedicated service and sacrifice of American veterans." It will take place at Knopf Cemetery, located on the east side of Arlington Heights Road, north of Lake Cook Road. The program will feature remarks by LCDR Eric Brown, command chaplain, Naval Station Great Lakes. Learn more here.

The history of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, dates back to 1868.

The history of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan called for a day of remembrance to honor the Northern lives lost amid battle during the Civil War that had ended just a few years earlier, according to History.com. As time passed, more and more people called it Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971.

Waterloo, New York, is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day. The town’s observance on May 5, 1866, predated Logan’s call for a day of remembrance. Local businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags.

Until World War I, the holiday honored only those soldiers who died while fighting for the Union in the War, as Southern states honored their war dead on a separate day. After the 116,000-plus American deaths in World War I, the tradition changed to remember all who have died while serving in the military.

Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Americans are asked to pause for one minute in silence to remember military personnel who have given their lives in service to their country. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the midday time was chosen because it’s a time when many Americans will be enjoying their freedoms on a national holiday.