A Day of Remembrance: The Importance of Memorial Day

By: Jason M. Jowers

Pexels [Man Standing on Stage by Brett Sayles, August 20, 2019, CC0]

For most of us, Memorial Day means getting a long weekend, various shopping deals or discounts, and our first chance to feel like summer is right around the corner. And while these are all great things, they sometimes overshadow the true reason for this federal holiday. Memorial Day is very important in honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

This holiday, originally known as Decoration Day, has its roots in the years following the American Civil War. During and after the war, the first of many national cemeteries were established, including Arlington National Cemetery. For more on the history of Memorial Day, read this past OneOp blog and this article from History.com on the facts, meanings, and traditions.

In remembrance on this year’s Memorial Day, the OneOp Family Development team would like to share some of our past programming that can help military families, or professionals working with military families. This programming is on various topics that we should be aware of on this important holiday and in remembering those who sacrificed for this country.

If you are interested, this programming includes webinars such as: “Staying Strong by Seeking Help: Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Treatment-Seeking” and “Opportunities & Possibilities: Posttraumatic Growth in Research and Practice (Part 1).”

Recommendations for several episodes of our Family Development Anchored Podcast Series includes: “Handle with Care: Helping Children Cope with Parental Loss” and  “Books Over Boots: Experiences of College Students in Military Families.”

Finally, for more great resources and programming, be sure to sign up for our OneOp Family Development Emailing List!