I discovered Alexandria National Cemetery last week. It is one of the 14 original national cemeteries established in 1862.

I walked through and noticed that the headstones were inscribed with names of men from “the North” who died during the Civil War, though Virginia was part of the South. A sign explained that Alexandria was captured and occupied by the Union as soon as war broke out, in order to defend the Potomac River entrance to the nation’s capital at Washington, D.C.

Our Memorial Day commemorations grew out of various Decoration Day traditions that began after the Civil War.

Blue Jay in another part of the cemetery.

This bird was looking young and handsome in blue and gray feathers.

The Gettysburg Address was on an outside wall of the cemetery superintendent’s lodge. President Lincoln gave the speech at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg, PA four months after the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

Remember.