Ken Graham: From the Publisher

Shortly after the Civil War, communities throughout both the northern and southern states began holding commemorations remembering and honoring the soldiers who died in the war. It soon became a tradition to hold a holiday in the spring called Decoration Day.

People throughout the country visited cemeteries and memorials to place flags and flowers at the graves of fallen soldiers of the war.

In the decades after the civil war, the holiday's name became known as Memorial Day, and it was a day to honor all Americans who died while in military service. (Veterans Day, on the other hand, is a holiday that honors all military veterans.) It also became a day for families and communities to gather and reconnect in a social setting.

Memorial Day did not became an official holiday until 1967, more than a century after the tradition began. (And yes, in case you're wondering, I got most of this information from Wikipedia.)

Here in the Touchet Valley, we have a proud history of honoring fallen soldiers on Memorial Day. The city cemeteries in Dayton and Waitsburg, and the many smaller cemeteries throughout the valley, are filled with flags on the graves of veterans, and flowers on those and many other graves. Members of the American Legion posts in Dayton and Waitsburg, and their families, spend many hours making sure all of our local veterans who have passed on are honored.

The Dayton Days Parade, which is held the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend each year is the most prominent community gathering for this important holiday. Memorial Day parades are a tradition throughout America, and we're very fortunate that Dayton's Chamber of Commerce is working hard to keep this local tradition alive.

On a lighter note, Memorial Day has long been an important part of automobile racing. The Indianapolis 500 has long been held on Memorial Day weekend. It's one of the largest community gatherings in the world. In the 1960s, NASCAR began holding a 600-mile race in Charlotte, N.C. - now called the Coca Cola 600 - on the same weekend.

I hope all of our readers will take a moment to think about the soldiers who have given their lives in military service, and also to thank our local veterans who help keep Memorial Day an important part of our communities.

Enjoy the parade. And drive carefully!