Monument for May

Monument for May

This monument is found in Monument Square in Leominster, Mass. It is engraved, "Honor the Brave" and has names of soldiers on each side. The two sides shown have "Ball's Bluff" and "Gettysburg" engraved on them. The monument was erected in 1866. We chose this Civil War monument for our page because Memorial Day or Decoration Day, as it was originally called, was first celebrated in the mid 1860's. For more information about the origins of Memorial Day, see the following sites:
Remembering Our Nation's Armed Forces
The Originis of Memorial Day has two versions of possible origins.
The Gettysburg Address
More Memorial Day Information

Suggested Activities
Find a monument in your community.
Take a photo or draw it.
What does the monument commemorate?
Make a list of the names.
How old were the people?
When did they live?
Research this time period.
What might their lives have been like?
What war did they fight in?
Write a poem about the monument and the people it represents
Think of someone who has influenced your life. Design a monument to celebrate their lives.
Monuments can also celebrate peace. Visit the Sadako sites and read about that monument:
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
The Sadako Song Story
The Sadako Peace Club
The Story of Sadako

Student Publishing
Fifth and Sixth Graders Write about Sadako
Send your stories and poems to us! If you have photos or drawings of historical monuments in your community and would like to publish them and what they represent, contact us.

Participants Questions and Comments
Gravestone for April