By Debra Messick

CAMBRIDGE - Throughout Dorchester County, community volunteers will be placing flags in area cemeteries prior to ceremonies paying tribute to fallen service members, taking place on both the traditional and currently designated Memorial Days,  May 27 and May 30.

This year, Gov. Wes Moore issued a proclamation announcing that Maryland’s official observance will take place on May 27 at most state veterans cemeteries.

However, at the Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery at Beulah, 6827 East New Market Ellwood Road, Hurlock, the traditional May 30 observance will  prevail.

On Monday, May 27, American Legion Post 91 ag hosts a commemorative community gathering at Long Wharf Park (or indoors at the Legion Post at 98 Sunburst Highway, in case of rain), at 11 a.m.

Youngsters will offer those attending red fabric Poppy pins, and community groups and officials will present an honor line of red, white, and blue wreaths, before guest speaker Mike Detmer, Dorchester County Council Vice President, who served in Iraq, addresses the gathering.

The Legion Auxiliary will provide complimentary finger food and refreshments at Post 91 following the ceremony.

Post 91 is also coordinating a volunteer effort to place flags at several county cemeteries in and near Cambridge on Wednesday, May 22. Anyone interested in helping is asked to report to Post 91 at 9 a.m.

The Cambridge Maryland Rotary Club’s annual Flags for Heroes display will be placed by the entrance of Long Wharf Park on Thursday, May 23.

Funds from the program benefit local veterans programs and Rotary community service projects.

Tax deductible individual and corporate sponsorships are available, and general donations can be made at rotaryflagsforheroes.org, or by mailing checks made out to Rotary Community Service Foundation - “Heroes” to Rotary Club of Cambridge, PO Box 703, Cambridge, MD 21613.

Donations are accepted all year long but must be received by May 31 to get a label designating the hero being honored. Only donations received by May 24 will be on the flags for Memorial Day.

At the Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery on Thursday, May 30 at 1:30 p.m., guest speaker Maryland Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Woods offers remarks.

The Wreaths Across America - Eastern Shore Maryland Veterans Cemetery volunteers led by Lynn Riley and Jackie Roe will be gathering there Saturday, May 25 at 8 a.m. All are welcome to help on that day and to pick up flags Saturday, June 1, 8 a.m.

The annual remembrance known as Memorial Day began as Decoration Day during the late 1860s, an outpouring of observance, with communities and congregations placing fresh Spring flowers on the multitude of Civil War soldier's graves.

The custom grew across towns, cities, and throughout the proliferation of national cemeteries created in the aftermath of the nation’s deadliest conflict.

According to the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum, it was on May 5, 1868, that General John Logan, leader of a Northern Civil War veterans’ organization, first called for a nationwide day of remembrance, stating,

“The 30th of May 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

He chose May 30th as the day of observance because it wasn’t the anniversary of any Civil War battle.

Over the years the number of war dead grew exponentially with World Wars I and II, the Korean conflict, Viet Nam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and Decoration Day came to be known as Memorial Day.

In 1971, after a new Federal law implemented several three-day weekend national holidays, its observance was moved to the last Monday in May.