Thanksgiving 2018

An Online Publication of the Anonymous Anything Society — November 21, 2018

THANKSGIVING

For both of you readers for not taking me to task for my confusion about what is Memorial Day and why it is observed. It took place this year on May 28. It was first observed by The Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Civil War veterans who fought for the Union in the war between the States. The GAR was organized by General John R. Logan, a division commander under fellow Illinoisan Ulysses S. Grant. Logan's wife headed a female auxiliary that began the practice of decorating graves of deceased Northern States Veterans, hence the appellation "Decoration Day," as well as "Memorial Day."

There is no small amount of irony in my error. I was born in Illinois and am a veteran. I lived the first 29 years of my life there. There is a Junior College in my hometown, Carterville, named after John R. Logan, and my maternal great grandfather, John Hill, who fought under General Logan, is buried in a small graveyard, first decorated by members of the Grand Army of the Republic auxiliary.

The celebration of the Armistice between the great powers in 1918, shall continue to be observed on November 11th.

Thanksgiving is for family. Tradition says it came to be in 1621, when the surviving members of Pilgrim families from the Mayflower and members of the Wampanoag tribe gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration.

-Phil Richardson, Observer of the Human Condition and Storyteller

"He goes doddering on into his old age, making a public nuisance of himself."—Joseph Menchen

Our unending thanks to Jim Bromley, who programs our Archive of Prior Commentaries

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