27th May 2024
Memorial Day, also called Decoration Day, is a federal holiday observed annually in the US. The day recognizes and grieves the sacrifices of fallen American military personnel
[Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May].
US Flag Photo Shutterstock
This article was first published in Business Standard.
The men in uniform guarantee that we sleep securely at night. We live safely in the comfort of our homes as they stand guard at the borders, protecting us from the enemies, while fighting for the country. In shielding the country, numerous military personnel sacrifice their lives.
National Memorial Day is dedicated to the lives and magnificence of those men who sacrifice their lives in safeguarding the country.
National Memorial Day, also called Decoration Day, is a federal holiday in the US. As we gear up to celebrate the special day, the following are a couple of things that we must remember.
National Memorial Day 2024: History
During the Civil War, women began the pattern of decorating the graves of the fallen warriors. Three years after the war finished, on May 5, 1868, the leader of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR); a group of Union veterans declared that annually, a day must be dedicated to the fallen fighters.
Maj. Gen. John A. Logan picked May 30 to be observed as Decoration Day when the graves of the fighters who sacrificed their lives during the war will be decorated with flowers.
What is the importance of National Memorial Day?
The extraordinary day is observed by decorating the graves of the fallen warriors with flowers. Some additionally put the American flags on the flags of the warriors who sacrificed their lives in protecting the country. National Memorial Day additionally denotes the informal beginning of the summer season in the US.
There are few cities for example, New York, Chicago and Washington DC, which host parades in memory of the dead fighters. The parades likewise include individuals from the military and veteran groups. The lives of the fallen warriors are remembered and honoured on this day.
National Memorial Day: Quotes
• “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy
• “Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion.”- Calvin Coolidge
• “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”- Theodore Roosevelt
• “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”- Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he is vigilant in its preservation.”- General Douglas MacArthur.
