Whether it be with a hot dog at a parade, a picnic with the family, or a swim at the beach, many Americans celebrate Memorial Day festively. It falls near the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer, making it a day-off during one of the most joyous times of year. However, to the friends and families of fallen U.S. soldiers, Memorial Day is completely different. It’s a holiday in which the nation as a whole unites to honor the fallen. Remembering every U.S. soldier who lost their life on the battlefield, as well as every veteran who passed away after their time of service. It’s a somber day of remembrance. The flag is flown at half staff until noon as a sign of mourning, and at 3:00 pm in each time zone, a moment of silence takes place. It’s a day where Americans pay their respects to fallen soldiers by honoring their graves with floral decorations throughout the day, and placing a wreath over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
So where did it all begin? The origins of Memorial Day can be traced back to the aftermath of the deadliest war in American history, the U.S. Civil War. Due to the estimated 400,000 soldiers killed in the war, the decoration of the graves of military members became a fairly common thing to do for many Americans. Soon, organized events in which people gathered together to decorate graves began popping up in several cities across the nation. This eventually evolved into an annual event in the U.S. known in its early years as Decoration Day.
After World War One, Decoration Day began to be a day that honored not only fallen soldiers from the Civil War, but from all American wars. It also started to be more commonly referred to as Memorial Day rather than Decoration Day. Finally, in 1971, Congress made Memorial Day a national holiday which would be observed annually on the last Monday of May, which it has been to the present day.
(Colorized photo of U.S.Troops during WWII, rescuing other soldiers on Omaha Beach.)
We have plenty to remember on this Memorial Day in particular, as it is the first one since a bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan took the lives of 13 U.S. soldiers aiding in the evacuation process. One of the victims was Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, seen comforting an infant at the airport in a picture posted days before the attack. She was 23 years old.
Another victim of the attack was Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak. At the time of the bombing, Max was providing assitance to a mother and child. He graduated on the honor roll of Edison High School in Ohio, where he was also a star on the football team. “I think we all can see from what happened (that) he was always there to help other people. He wanted to be of service and that’s what he did.” said an Edison High School Superintendent. Max leaves behind his parents and his twelve siblings.
Wherever you may be on Memorial Day, whatever you’re doing and whomever you’re with, take a moment to think about Nicole, Max, and the countless other U.S. soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the greater good. By doing this, we allow their legacies to live on, and their actions to never be forgotten.
