Memorial Day 2025
1962 by The Kingston Trio. Written by Pete Seeger in 1955
Memorial Day in the United States
After the Civil War the decoration of military graves became widespread.
By 1890, every Union state had adopted it. The world wars turned it into a day of remembrance for all members of the U.S. military who fought and died in service. In 1968, Congress changed its observance to the last Monday in May, and in 1971 standardized its name as “Memorial Day.”
To the memory of those who died, and the costs of war…..
Costs of War, ‘Perpetual War’
War, what is it good for?
Edwin Starr / War
(War, huh) Yeah
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothin’
Uh-huh, uh-huh
(War, huh) Yeah
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothin’
Say it again, y’all
(War, huh) Huh, lookout
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothin’
Listen to me, aww!
War, I despise
‘Cause it means destruction of innocent lives
War means tears to thousands of mothers’ eyes
When their sons go out to fight and lose their lives
I said
(War, huh) Good God, y’all
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothin’
Say it again
(War, huh) Woah, woah, lord, lord
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothin’
Listen to me
(War) It ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
(War) Friend only to the undertaker, aww!
War is the enemy of all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest, within the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die?
Aww!
(War, huh) Good God y’all
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothin’
Say it, say it, say it
(War, huh) Uh-huh yeah, huh
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothin’
Listen to me
(War) It ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
(War) It’s got one friend, that’s the undertaker, aww!
But Lord knows there’s gotta be a better way, oh!
“In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields….
Memorial Day in the USA, History.com
In May 1868, General John A. Logan, the commander-in-chief of the Union veterans’ group known as the Grand Army of the Republic, issued a decree that May 30 should become a nationwide day of commemoration for the more than 620,000 soldiers killed in the recently ended Civil War. On Decoration Day, as Logan dubbed it, Americans should lay flowers and decorate the graves of the war dead “whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”
According to legend, Logan chose May 30 because it was a rare day that didn’t fall on the anniversary of a Civil War battle, though some historians believe the date was selected to ensure that flowers across the country would be in full bloom.
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Drums of War
Hear the drums beating
Carrying the costs of war
Deep costs
Every day
Every year
