Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all of the service members that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Many historians believe that Memorial Day was initially celebrated to honor the approximately 620,000 soldiers that died during America’s deadliest war, The Civil War. This initial commemoration has roots right here in South Carolina.

According to Pulitzer prize winning historian, David Blight, freed slaves and white missionaries in Charleston, SC organized a memorial on May 1, 1865 at a former planter’s racetrack. Confederate soldiers held captured Union soldiers at this site during the last year of the Civil War. As many as 257 of the captured soldiers held here died and were buried in unmarked graves. The purpose of this memorial was to give the deceased Union soldiers a proper burial.

Although they look different during a pandemic, memorial practices can promote a healthy grieving process and are a great way to honor the deceased. No matter what this day means to you, I hope that you find peace.

Source: Time.com