Days of Remembering

By Tom Adkinson
For many, Memorial Day is simply the start of summer, an excuse to fire up the grill or the end of a three-day weekend.

In the Southeast, however, there are many ways and many places to reflect on the real concept of Memorial Day – a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

At least two dozen communities claim to be the site where Memorial Day – Decoration Day to many – originated, but no one disputes that its roots are in commemorations to the fatalities of the War Between the States. An observance at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868 is noted as the first large-scale observance.

Here are four locations, whose stories are in four wars, where you can reflect on the sacrifices of Americans in uniform. The National Park Service cares for them all.

VIRGINIA: Colonial National Historical Park – Yorktown Battlefield

America's War for Independence effectively ended here. The date was October 19, 1781, and Gen. George Washington's combined American and French army forced the surrender of the British forces of Gen. Charles Lord Cornwallis. When British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North learned of the defeat, he is reputed to have said, "Oh God, it's all over."

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