FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Memorial Day – When America Remembers
Reflecting on the Sacrifice of America’s Fallen Warriors
Memorial Day is a time for somber remembrance of the loved ones who died in the service of their nation.
Memorial Day is the Federal holiday celebrated the last Monday of each May to honor the men and women who died while serving in the military.
Unlike Veterans Day, which is held each November 11 to honor all Veterans, Memorial Day represents a time for the nation to pause, remember and honor the service of deceased Veterans and military members who died on active duty.
Memorial Day is a time when people visit cemeteries and memorials. Many cemeteries will host ceremonies of remembrance, which are usually coordinated on the local level by officials at those cemeteries.
Photo: Corinth National Cemetery. Credit: Wikimedia.
The holiday was originally called Decoration Day, when the tradition of decorating the graves of Union and Confederate Veterans began. It still brings loved ones to the graves of the deceased, often with flowers.“I call on all Americans to come together to honor the men and women who gave their lives so that we may live free, and to strive for a just and lasting peace in our world.”
— President Barack Obama
More than 100,000 people are expected to attend activities at VA’s national cemeteries with color guards, readings, bands, and choir performances. Events will honor about one million men and women who died in the military during wartime, including about 655,000 battle deaths.
National cemetery staff and volunteers typically place American flags on each grave.
At Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment based at Fort Myer, Va. — the famed “Old Guard” — traditionally decorate each grave with a small American flag.
Remembering Fallen Warriors
On Memorial Day at 3 p.m., local time around the nation, Americans will pause for the annual Moment of Remembrance to pause and reflect on the sacrifice of America’s fallen warriors and the freedoms that unite Americans.
The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains approximately three million gravesites at its 131 national cemeteries and has the potential to provide six million graves on more than 19,000 acres in 39 states and Puerto Rico, as well as 33 soldier’s lots and monument sites.
