Memorial Day in River Wilderness

May 23, 2026

Dear Residents,

Re: Memorial Day in River Wilderness

Memorial Day began after the Civil War as Decoration Day, when communities placed flowers on the graves of the Union dead. In 1868, General John A. Logan proclaimed a National Day of Remembrance on May 30; after World War I, the commemoration expanded to honor all Americans who died in military service. Congress renamed it Memorial Day in 1967 and, with the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act, fixed its observance to the last Monday in May.

Today, Memorial Day blends solemn tribute with the unofficial start of summer. Americans attend ceremonies at cemeteries and war memorials, observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m., and watch flags lowered to half-staff until noon. Volunteers place flags on veterans’ graves, parades roll through towns, and families gather for picnics and service projects supporting Gold Star families.

Here in River Wilderness, we look forward to barbeques and gathering with family and friends, however, the first thing we do is to decorate the OTR gate entrance with bunting, American Flags of all sizes, POW flags, and the flags of each branch of the armed services. Our small part in honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

This morning we were very happy to have quite a few volunteers help with this task of honor. Below are some of the pictures from this morning. We really appreciated all of the help as it made the job go quickly and was a great way to spend the morning! Thank you, all!

Hoping everyone has a wonderful Memorial weekend.

Regards,
River Wilderness of Bradenton Foundation