Memorial Day

This week’s show takes us from Gomer Pyle to Puffed Wheat cereal in the space of 3 minutes, and it’s a twisted road between the two. In between we hear from The Andrews Sisters,  Enrico Caruso and General George Patton.
Here are some interesting tidbits we found: 

• Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those who have died serving our country.
• In 1868 General John Alexander Logan ordered the Memorial Day holiday to be observed by decorating the war dead.
• On Memorial Day, the flag should be at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff.
• Red Poppies are recognized as the Memorial Day flower.
• “Taps” is often played at ceremonies on Memorial Day.
• Memorial Day was first called “Decoration Day” because of the practice of decorating soldier’s graves with flowers.
• The south refused to honor the dead on Memorial Day until after World War I when the meaning of Memorial Day changed from honoring civil war dead to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.
• Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971.