S‑0487.1   _____________________________________________

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8009

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senator Roach

Read first time 01/25/2001.  Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

_1      TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

_2  STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE

_3  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF

_4  REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

_5      We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives

_6  of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled,

_7  respectfully represent and petition as follows:

_8      WHEREAS, Memorial Day is a day to honor all men and women who

_9  have died in our nation's service, and to show respect for all

10  American veterans of wars and other military conflicts; and

11      WHEREAS, Memorial Day began in May of 1866 as Decoration Day, a

12  day to honor the Civil War dead, with a program of observance for

13  decorating the Civil War graves with flowers; and

14      WHEREAS, General John Logan designated the 30th day of May 1868

15  as the first nationwide observance of Decoration Day; and

16      WHEREAS, The Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of

17  Union veterans, advocated that the day be set aside as a legal

18  holiday, and some states did approve it as a legal holiday; and

19      WHEREAS, In 1971 Congress established Memorial Day as a legal

20  holiday to be held each year on the last Monday in May; and

                               p. 1                      SJM 8009

_1      WHEREAS, The holiday does not adhere to the traditional May

_2  30th date but instead creates a convenient three-day weekend, thus

_3  detracting our attention from ceremonies and other activities

_4  associated with the traditional observance of Memorial Day; and

_5      WHEREAS, American veterans have earned our respect and

_6  gratitude for their courage, patriotism, and sacrifice.  Their

_7  service has ensured our freedom and prosperity, and they deserve

_8  to have the Memorial Day holiday dedicated entirely to their

_9  honor, rather than a holiday absorbed into a convenient three-day

10  weekend, where traditional observances are often missing;

11      NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the

12  traditional day for observance of Memorial Day be restored to May

13  30th.

14      BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately

15  transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the

16  United States, the President of the United States Senate, the

17  Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of

18  Congress from the State of Washington.

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SJM 8009                       p. 2