Decoration Day

You don't hear the phrase Decoration Day much anymore, even in the South, but it was the original name for Memorial Day. Still, there is a long and ongoing tradition in the South to tend and decorate the graves of Civil War casualties and veterans. Does that mean there are those who think the Civil War was a just and noble cause? There are still some that do, but for many this is simply about paying respect to one's ancestors and honoring those that died in a war unlike any ever fought by the USA, one that took place in our own back yard. I don't romanticize those times, and no one can ignore the horrendous injustice of slavery, but there is a pull we all have to pay our respects to the dead, especially those who died in combat. We all hope that years form now there will be those that honor us, trying to remember what was good about us and forgiving what was not.

Cassville Cemetery - Cassville Georgia