“A nation that does not honor its heroes will not endure long.” Abraham Lincoln
This is who we honor and memorialize today:
Total American deaths by war
Civil War – 625,000
World War II – 405,399
World War I – 116,516
Vietnam War – 58,151
Korean War – 36,516
Revolutionary War – 25,000
War of 1812 – 15,000
Mexican-American War – 13,283
War on Terror – 6,717
Celebrated the last Monday each May, what is today called Memorial Day was for many years referred to as Decoration Day. It all started after the Civil War as a way to commemorate the more than 600,000 soldiers who died fighting for both the Union and the Confederacy. It became an annual ritual to decorate soldiers’ graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags. In 1967, federal law officially declared it Memorial Day and designated it a National Holiday.
While we’re all kicking off summer, hosting backyard bar-b-cues, opening swimming pools, going to the lake and beach, and enjoying a day off from work, let us also remember those who gave their lives to keep us free and did not come home.
Beyond Words 