Fort McCoy observes Memorial Day with prayer luncheon

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Robert Pleczkowki, deputy chief of chaplains at the U.S. Army Reserve Office of the Chief of Chaplains in Washington, D.C., gives his presentation during the Memorial Day Prayer Luncheon on May 24, 2018, at Fort McCoy, Wis. (U.S. Army photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

06.07.2018

Story by Aimee Malone 

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Fort McCoy community members took the opportunity to honor fallen service members leading up to and over the Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day is observed the last Monday in May and honors the men and women who have died during their military service. Americans often visit cemeteries and gravesites to place flowers or American flags on the graves of service members. A national moment of remembrance also takes place at 3 p.m. local time each Memorial Day.

The tradition began during the Civil War when women in Pennsylvania began putting flowers on the graves of fallen Soldiers from the Battle of Gettysburg in the summer and the fall, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The tradition began to spread, and in 1868, the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union service members, declared May 30 as Decoration Day, “designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.”

Memorial Day first became a legal holiday in 1873 in New York. In 1887, Congress recognized Memorial Day or Decoration Day as a holiday for government employees. Memorial Day remained on May 30 until 1971 when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act went into effect, which moved it to the last Monday in May.

Fort McCoy community members recognized the day by attending the Religious Support Office’s Memorial Day Prayer Luncheon on May 24 at McCoy’s Community Center.

Karen Birkeness, who retired from Fort McCoy in 2017, led the gathering in several hymns. Prayers were conducted by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Raymond Leach, Fort McCoy garrison; Chaplain (Maj.) Erik Spicer, 181st Multi-Functional Training Brigade; Chaplain (Maj.) Dawn Siebold, 88th Readiness Division; Chaplain Jef Skinner, Sparta police; Pastor Brian Young, Sparta Faith Evangelical Free Church; Pastor Paul Frey, InFaith missionary; and Chaplain (Capt.) Jameson Abidoye, Operation Cold Steel II.

The guest speaker was Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Robert Pleczkowki, deputy chief of chaplains at the U.S. Army Reserve Office of the Chief of Chaplains in Washington, D.C. Pleczkowki spoke about the traditions of Memorial Day and the meaning behind the holiday.

“Memorial Day has taken on different meanings over the years, especially wearing a uniform, as many — if not all — of us may have names and faces of friends and comrades whom we remember in a special way this Memorial Day because of the sacrifice they made,” Pleczkowski said.

He shared that Memorial Day had sometimes been more of a day of work and functions, whether he was participating in ceremonies or directing Boy Scouts to put flags in local cemeteries.

That changed after he heard a Korean and Vietnam Wars veteran, retired Chaplain Parker Thompson, speak at Chaplain Hill at Arlington National Cemetery.

“I’ve been there lots of times. I’ve heard a lot of speeches — many very inspiring speeches. Parker Thompson spoke from his heart,” Pleczkowski said. “He wasn’t talking in generalities. He was talking about his friends.”

He spoke about taking the time to reflect on the service members who had lost their lives, especially during the 3 p.m. moment of silence.

“If we can’t do it for a whole day, maybe as a country we can stop for that one minute to really make the day what’s supposed to be,” he said, “and reflect not only in our minds but in our hearts what people have done for us so that we live in freedom and peace as God’s children to do the mission given to us.”

Over the holiday weekend, garrison and tenant organization representatives also participated in Memorial Day events in surrounding communities, including Sparta, Norwalk, Bangor, La Crosse, Ontario, Trempealeau, and Merrillan. Numerous other Fort McCoy Soldiers, civilians, and Family members attended local events or celebrated the day on their own.

For more information on Memorial Day and its history, visit https://history.army.mil/html/reference/holidays/memday/index.html or www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp.

The Religious Support Office also hosts a Veterans Day Prayer Luncheon in September; for more information, call 608-388-3528.

• Date Taken: 06.07.2018
• Date Posted: 06.07.2018 10:34
• Story ID: 279946
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US
• Hometown: WASHINGTON, DC, US