Memorial Day is an American holiday observed on the last Monday in May honoring men and women who died in the United States Military. Myrtle Beach celebrates Military Appreciation Days during the month of May with a full schedule of activities on the Myrtle Beach Calendar of Events 2018 sponsored by the City of Myrtle Beach, PGBA, LLC and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. This is their way of showing gratitude to our dedicated service men and women as well as their families.
“The celebration includes active duty military personnel, reserves, the National Guard and veterans from all service branches. During May, military personnel and their families also can look for discounts to area restaurants and attractions, so that they can enjoy the activities.” (Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce)
Some of the Myrtle Beach events 2018 Memorial Day that are taking place beginning Thursday, May 24, 2018, start with the Military Officers’ Association of America (M.O.A.A.) Grand Strand Golf Tournament which begins at 12:00 p.m. with registration and lunch. There will be a 2:00 shotgun start at the Heritage Golf Course in Pawleys Island, just south of Myrtle Beach.
On Saturday, May 26, 2018, there will be a Military Appreciation Days Parade with US Army Reserve Captain and 2016 Miss USA, Deshauna Barber, as the 2018 Grand Marshal. The Military Parade is returning to the former site of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, now known as The Market Common. It will begin at 10:30 a.m. and travel Howard Avenue and Farrow Parkway.
Following the parade, there will be a Family Picnic in Grand Park at The Market Common, beginning at 12:00 p.m., which is free for everyone, courtesy of PGBA, LLC. Lunch will be prepared by the Omar Shriners Chefs. The Andrew Thielen Big Band will be presenting a live show, and there will be military exhibits, kids’ activities and a chance to meet and greet Deshauna Barber.
On Monday, May 28, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., there will be a Veterans March on Ocean Boulevard, beginning at 16th Avenue North. This special Memorial Day event is organized by the combat Veterans Mortorcycle Association Chapter. It is not a parade, so there will not be floats or vehicles unless a vehicle is required for veterans that are unable to walk.
There will also be a Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony on Monday, May 28, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center located at 2101 N Oak St, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The public is invited to attend to help say thank you to our military men and women and their families. There will be guest speakers, the Missing Man Table and an honor guard salute to recognize Memorial Day.
The last event of the day on Monday, May 28, 2018, will be the Memorial Day Tribute Film at the Grand Cinemas, located at 4002 Deville St, Myrtle Beach in The Market Common. For more about Myrtle Beach’s 2018 Military Appreciation Days, please call 843-918-1014.
History of Memorial Day:
Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, originated after the Civil war and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Originally, it honored only the soldiers lost during the Civil War, but after World War I, the holiday evolved to commemorate fallen soldiers of all wars.
Memorial Day was observed on May 30th for decades, but in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May to create a three-day-weekend for federal employees. Each year on Memorial Day, a national moment of silence is observed at 3:00 p.m. local time.
Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings or barbeques, and participating in parades. Memorial Day also unofficially marks the beginning of Summer.
Early Observances of Memorial Day
The country’s first national cemeteries were established after the Civil War ended in 1865, claiming more lives than any conflict in United States history. Americans in various towns and cities began holding springtime tributes by the late 1860’s, decorating the graves of countless fallen soldiers with flowers and reciting prayers in these national cemeteries.
Although it is unclear where these traditions originated, in 1966, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, that was first celebrated on May 5, 1866. Businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flags and flowers.
Decoration Day
“On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. ‘The 30th of May 1868 is 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, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,’ he proclaimed.” (www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history) The date of Decoration Day was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle.
General James Garfield made a speech on the first Decoration Day at the Arlington National Cemetery. There were 5,000 participants who decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were laid to rest there.
Northern states continued to hold commemorative events and had made Decoration Day an official State Holiday by 1890. The Southern states did not honor their dead on the same day until after World War I.
If you are visiting the Grand Strand this Memorial Day Weekend, please join us at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Elliott Coastal Living in honoring our fallen veterans who gave their lives to ensure our freedoms.
