Legion News
By Michael “Mick” Shaughnessy, Chaplain Post 109
On Monday, May 30st, we observe Memorial Day to commemorate American Service members who died in the line of duty. While the observance is often mistaken for a holiday to honor all military – lumped with Veterans Day, servicemembers and veterans are most often those who carry out the various traditions associated with the holiday. The holiday is considered the beginning of summer, but the choice of late May for the observation may have had more to do with flowers being in full bloom everywhere in the country, as flowers are a key element in much of the tradition. In ancient Greece and Rome societies honored their war dead by decorating their graves and statues with flowers and pennants. The use of flowers continues to the present day.
Memorial Day probably began shortly after the Civil War when a group of freed slaves decorated the graves of Union soldiers in Charleston, South Carolina, and similar observations were taken up throughout the country. In 1868, GEN John Alexander Logan ordered the holiday to be observed by the Union Army by decorating the graves of the war dead and conducting ceremonies in military cemeteries. He specified May 30th as Decoration Day, picking a date that did not coincide with any specific Civil War battle or event. The holiday remained May 30th until the Uniform Monday Holiday Act designated federal holidays on Mondays and Decoration Day became Memorial Day, observed the last Monday in May each year. Another tradition unique to the day involves the raising of the American Flag to half-staff in the morning and then raised to full staff at noon. It has also become a practice to observe a moment of silence at 3:00 pm local time as a remembrance. Two other traditions of the day most associated with the American Legion involve decorating Service Members graves with American flags and the wearing of red “Buddy Poppies”, a tradition dating from the WW I poem “In Flanders Field”. Please consider joining us on Memorial Day at 11am for a short service honoring those that gave all.
Corona Cares Update
By Ellie Abraham
On Saturday, April 9, 2022, the Corona Cares active volunteers gathered for the first time in two years. In addition to at last being able to gather, visit, and meet new volunteers, it was a retirement sendoff for Barbara Geschwinder.
Barbara has been involved with Corona Cares as a volunteer driver, friendly visitor, and board member, including board president for the past four years. Her sage advice on policy and operation of the program has been invaluable. It is with a heavy heart we bid her farewell, but we all wish her the best on her new adventures of life.
Corona Cares gifted Barbara with a beautiful cutting board engraved with the Corona Cares logo created by L4 Wood and Metal Creations.
Adopt-A-Road Cleanup
By Ed Buster, president,
Corona de Tucson Community Alliance
On Saturday, March 26, 2022, we hosted our first roadway cleanup of the year. It was an incredible day, and we had the outstanding support of 30 community volunteers in support of our Adopt-A-Road clean-up event. Thanks to these incredible people we were able to collect and remove 31 bags of trash and debris (appx 600+ pounds) along our historic area of Houghton Road.
Highest appreciation to each of our volunteers, road captains: Manuil Chavez and Isaiah Buster, support of Four Arrows Garden, each of our board members, and especially the dynamic steadfast leadership of our secretary/treasurer, Ellie Abraham, for helping keep our beloved Corona de Tucson clean and beautiful.
If any individual, family, or local group wants to participate in their own Adopt-A-Roadway event, please contact our good friends at the Pima County Department of Transportation for more details.
Katrina Noble, Community Relations (Adopt-A-Roadway),
Pima County Department of Transportation
201 N. Stone Avenue, 4th Floor
Tucson, AZ 85701
Direct Line -520-724-6576
Katrina.Noble@pima.gov
