STERLING, Va. - To commemorate the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, staff from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) held a ceremony May 26 in Sterling, Virginia. Keynote speakers included Brian Salerno, BSEE Director; Dr. Rodney Cluck, BOEM Chief of Environmental Sciences; Deanna Meyer-Pietruska, BOEM Chief of Policy, Regulation and Analysis; and Jacob Lee from BSEE’s Office of Policy and Analysis. Organized by veterans from BOEM and BSEE, the event was attended by more than 100 employees. During the event a memorial plaque was presented and will be displayed in the Bureaus’ offices.
Memorial Day is a sacred holiday in the United States. Traditionally the last Monday in May, Memorial Day commemorates and honors the men and women who have given everything in service of their country.
Memorial Day was formally known as Decoration Day and was first observed on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Ceremony. The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — the organization for Civil War Union veterans — wanted to honor fallen Civil War Service members by decorating their graves. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. Throughout the next century, Decoration Day continued to be observed on May 30. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day as a national holiday that occurs on the last Monday of May.
