Memorial+Day



We all know that it is a long weekend this weekend (which translates to no school on Monday) but do you know what holiday we are celebrating on Monday? It's Memorial Day. How much do you know about Memorial Day? Memorial Day originated in 1868, when Union General John Logan designated a day in which the graves of Civil War soldiers would be decorated.Known originally as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day within twenty years. **It is a holiday dedicated to the memory of all people who have lost their lives during war.** It became a federal holiday in 1971, and is now observed on the last Monday in the month of May. For many, Memorial Day has also become the unofficial start of the summer season. If you want to learn more about Memorial Day you can click on this[| link to the usmemorialday.org] website.

For many of us in Luldow this year Memorial Day will have a more personal meaning in light of the recent death of Sgt. Joshua D. Deforges in Afghanistan. As many of you may know Sgt. Deforges was a Ludlow resident, graduating from Ludlow High School in 2004. He made the ultimate sacrafice fighting for our freedom. Your assignment this week is to write a short essay about what Memorial Day means to you and to share how you will celebrate Memorial Day. So please remember your essay has two parts- first write what Memorial Day means to you and then explain how you will be celebrating the holiday. As always this assignment requires solid proofreading, with attention to spelling, grammar and style before posting. **Please remember that a short essay should be longer than one or two sentences**. As always I would recommend that you first write a draft, make corrections, rewrite and then post to the wiki. I would like you to **use the discussion feature** on this page to share your work. Mrs. McDonald and Mrs. Corrieri will start with their essays ....

Memorial Day Weekend is always a special weekend for me. When I was in elementary school I had the opportunity to march in the parade that my hometown had every year. We, the school children, would lead our community in singing patriot songs to honor those who had given their lives to guarantee the freedoms I hold so dear. Now as an adult, I try to take time to be outside for a special reason. On Memorial Day I make sure to take time and look around at the beautiful country that we live in. I take a moment to say thank you to the men, women, and their families who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. The freedoms that I appreciate the most are those which allow me to live with my family, to have a job that enables me to support my family, to be able to choose my own religion, and to receive an education. I will be especially keeping the Deforges family in my mind. Sgt. Deforges was working towards not only protecting our freedom, but he was trying to ensure that the children of Afghanistan would also receive the freedom of an education. He is a hero. My thoughts and prayers will be with his family and the Ludlow community this weekend. - Mrs. McDonald 5/25/10

For me, Memorial Day Weekend is a time to remember all of those brave and selfless heroes who have given their lives in the ongoing fight for our freedom. Our freedom to go to school, use our computers, eat at Taco Bell and watch American Idol. This year I will especially remember Sgt. Joshua Deforges who is a true American hero. I will also be thinking of Sgt Desforge's family at this very difficult time for them and remembering him as a hero. My father was a Marine in the Korean War and so when I was young we would always attend the Memorial Day parade in Boston. I always enjoyed the care ride to the parade because my father would retell so many wonderful stories about his tour in Korea. Nowadays, I go to the parade in Monson and then have a cookout with my family and friends, all the while remembering the ultimate sacrafice that so many men and women have made to keep us free. Mrs. Corrieri 5/25/2010


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