Loyalty Day 2020
Fellow Members of the Rocket Post, I want to take a moment
to talk to you about the observance of Loyalty Day, a day which I wasn’t
familiar with. In an age where we have a special emphasis on seemingly every
day of the year, this particular day is worthy of mention. I apologize that we
didn’t address it sooner, but these past few months have been challenging for
many reasons, some of which I think shed great light on this special day.
Loyalty Day is a holiday observed on the first day of May.
It was first observed in 1921, shortly after the first Red Scare. This was a
period in our country between 1920 and 1921, caused by several factors
including WWI, which caused a strong sense of Nationalism. The Bolshevik
Revolution also fueled American fears of immigrants and dissidents from Russia
and eastern European countries who might have communist, socialists, or
anarchist ideologies. There were in fact several incidents of Anarchist mail
bombs sent to prominent Americans including United States Attorney General A.
Mitchell Palmer and United States Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Loyalty Day was originally call "Americanization Day” and
intended to replace the May 1 (May Day) celebration of the International
Workers’ Day, which commemorated the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago.
During the second Red Scare of the 1950s, it was recognized
by Congress on April 27th, 1955, and made an official recurring
holiday on July 18th, 1958. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
proclaimed May 1st, 1955, the first observance of Loyalty Day. In
1958, Eisenhower urged Congress to move Child Health Day to the first Monday in
October, to avoid conflicting with Loyalty Day and it has been recognized by
every president since its inception as a legal holiday.
So, what does Loyalty Day stand for? It is a day in which
Americans reaffirm their loyalty to the United States and the recognition of
the heritage of American freedom. The Presidential Proclamation issued does the
following: It calls on United States Government officials to display the flag
of the United States on all Government buildings on Loyalty Day, and invites
the people of the United States to observer Loyalty Day with appropriate
ceremonies in schools and other public places.
As we look at the history and context of Loyalty Day and we
look at the current state of affairs in our nation today, I would suggest that
we may in fact be experiencing similar conditions and forces at work which seek
to undermine and destroy the vary values and ideas that created our great
nation. As veterans or family members of veterans, you have made the choice to
defend our Constitution and its inherent impact on our way of life. We must
continue to stand by our oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the
United States against ALL enemies, foreign AND domestic, and promote patriotism
and Americanism within our communities.
Respectfully,
Mark Kelley
Commander
VFW "Rocket” Post 4534