AP Photo/Lucy Pemoni Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, seen in his office, Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. AP Photo/Lucy Pemoni. From 1987 until his death in 2012, Inouye worked to move Memorial Day back to May 30.

HOUGHTON — In the late 1960s, a newly signed law moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May. However, a movement to restore the original date has been gaining ground since 1987.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act, signed into law in 1968 and took affect in 1971, established a uniform system for observing several federal holidays on Mondays. This law moved several national holidays, including Memorial Day, Washington’s Birthday, and Veterans Day, to Monday, creating three-day weekends for federal employees.

On June 28, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, published a statement saying, in part:

“This will mean a great deal to our families and our children. It will enable families who live some distance apart to spend more time together. Americans will be able to travel farther and see more of this beautiful land of ours. They will be able to participate in a wider range of recreational and cultural activities.” What resulted was Memorial Day became a three-day weekend celebrated as the start of the summer season.

Beginning in 1987 Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, introduced a measure to return Memorial Day to its traditional date. Inouye continued introducing the resolution to every Congress until his death in 2012. Inouye argued that because of the 1968 act, many Americans had lost sight of the significance of Memorial Day.

“Instead of using Memorial Day as a time to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made by Americans in combat,” Inouye said in announcing a bill to Congress in 1999, “many Americans use the day as a celebration of the beginning of summer. My bill would restore Memorial Day to May 30 and authorize our flag to fly at half mast on that day. In addition, this legislation would authorize the President to issue a proclamation designating Memorial Day and Veterans Day as days for prayer and ceremonies honoring American veterans. This legislation would help restore the recognition our veterans deserve for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our nation.”

Inouye probably understood the solemnity of Memorial Day more than most Congress members.

Inouye was a Japanese-American who witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Later, as a Lieutenant in Co. E, 44d Regimental Combat Team, U.S. Army, Inouye received the Medal of Honor for action in San Terenzo, Italy, on April 25, 1945. In addition, for his combat heroism, which cost him his right arm, Inouye was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart with Cluster.

A May, 27, 2013 article in The Hill stated Inouye knew that other American service members have made even greater sacrifices in wartime. “That is perhaps why, for the last quarter-century of his life, Inouye carried on a lonely fight to restore Memorial Day to its proper focus as a time for honoring Americans who have lost their lives in service to our country,” The Hill states.

Absorbing Memorial Day into a long weekend, though, has had some regrettable consequences, The Hill continues. The annual tributes to America’s fallen service members are too easily overshadowed by the festive weekend’s barbecues, getaways, sporting events and sales. A day that should be devoted to gratitude is instead too often given over to self-gratification.