Fred L. Goldenberg: Treating the living fairly honors those who died

May 28—On April 9, 1865, the American Civil War officially ended with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. It ended the bloodiest conflict in American history but not before a combined total of 620,000 Confederate and Union soldiers died.

To give you a better perspective on just how devastating the Civil War was, look at its impact on the population at that time. In 1861 the estimated population of the United States was 31.4 million people. By the end of the Civil War in 1865 almost 2% of the population died fighting in the war — which doesn't include the civilian population that died as well. In today's numbers that 2% would equate to 6,515,070 lost.

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, has its origins a few years after the Civil War. In 1868, General John A. Logan, who was the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, issued a proclamation designating May 30 as Decoration Day, to be observed annually.

On May 30, 1868, thousands of people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the first widely recognized observance of Decoration Day, to decorate the graves of Union soldiers buried there with flowers and flags. Since then, the practice of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers and flags spread throughout the country and over time evolved and came to be known a Memorial Day. In 1971, it was officially recognized as a federal holiday and designated to be observed on the last Monday in May.

Although the Civil War was the single largest loss of American lives in any war (North or South, those who died were all Americans), the ravages of war has claimed the lives of many soldiers since:

* World War I (1917-1918): Approximately 116,500 U.S. Military deaths.

* World War II (1941-1945): Approximately 405,400 U.S. Military deaths.

* Korean War (1950-1953): Approximately 36,500 U.S. Military deaths.

* Vietnam War (1955-1975): Approximately 58,200 U.S. Military deaths.

* Gulf War (1990-1991): Approximately 382 U.S. Military deaths.

* War in Afghanistan (2001-2023): Approximately 2,400 U.S. Military deaths.

* Iraq War (2003-2011): Approximately 4,500 U.S. Military deaths.

On Monday, at every one of the 155 national cemeteries a flag will be placed at every grave of those who answered the call and never returned. Unlike Veterans Day — which honors those 18 million men and woman still living who have served to protect our freedom — Memorial Day serves as a day of remembrance, paying tribute to those who gave their lives in service to the U.S.

Memorial Day has been deemed the official weekend to kick off summer. A day filled with family gatherings, parades, patriotic ceremonies and other activities that celebrate the values of freedom and gratitude for those who have served their country.

But as we celebrate, do we really remember the reasons we are able to celebrate at all?

Engraved in a block of marble at the Open Space in Traverse City are the words "freedom isn't free," but the full quote from Sgt. Major Bill Paxton (USMC) is "May we never forget our fallen comrades. Freedom isn't free."

We must do a better job taking care of our veterans. Making them pawns in a partisan agenda that threatens the benefits they fought for is unacceptable. Yet, here we are faced with the threat of major cuts to the VA to offset increasing the debit ceiling. This is just wrong.

Former Michigan governor and current Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm may have said it best when she said "Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well."

Contact your representative and them him or her to honor those who died protecting our freedom by protecting those living who have served.

The annual Traverse City Memorial Day Ceremony will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park on 11th Street and Elmwood Avenue. In addition, the local chapter of Veterans for Peace will be holding an event from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Open Space. Taps will be played at noon.

Fred L. Goldenberg is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and the owner of Senior Benefit Solutions, LLC, a financial services and certified health insurance organization affiliated with Michigan Planners in Traverse City. If there are questions or comments about this column or if interested in the monthly Medicare classes, call 231-922-1010 or email fred@srbenefitsolutions.com.