Butte Police Protective Association

Today is Memorial Day. Not a long weekend. Not a sale. A day set aside to remember the men and women who gave everything.

The roots of this holiday go back to May 1868, when General John A. Logan issued a proclamation designating May 30 as a day to decorate the graves of those who died in the Civil War. What began as flowers placed on graves eventually grew into a national observance honoring every American service member lost in every conflict this country has ever fought. More than 1.3 million Americans have died in military service throughout the nation's history.

Our members are working today, as they do on every holiday, keeping this community safe while families gather to remember. We do not take that lightly on any day, but especially not this one.

Share this post to make sure the original meaning of this day reaches your entire network.

Today is Mother's Day, and we want to take a moment to actually mean it.

Anna Jarvis, who campaigned for the holiday's creation, later spent years fighting to keep it from becoming too commercialized. By the 1920s she was publicly critical of the greeting card industry and even called for the holiday to be removed from the national calendar. She believed it was meant to be a personal, sincere expression, not a commercial event. It is a reminder that the original intent was simple: stop and recognize the people who give more than they are given credit for.

Our members working shifts today are serving this community while missing time with their own families. That sacrifice is worth acknowledging today just as much as everything else.

Comment below and recognize a mother in your life who makes this work possible.

On April 23, 1908, Congress created the Medical Reserve Corps, a group of 160 military doctors who could be called to active duty in times of emergency. That small, practical decision became the foundation of what is now the United States Army Reserve.

118 years later, the Reserve has answered the call in every major American conflict from World War I through the present day. Today it stands at approximately 172,000 soldiers, each one a civilian who chose to remain available to their country on top of everything else life requires of them. That kind of commitment does not get enough recognition.

Members of this association who serve in the Reserve carry that history with them every shift. We are proud to stand alongside them.

Comment below and tag an Army Reserve soldier you want to recognize on their birthday.