It's easy to think of Memorial Day as just another patriotic summer holiday.
Along with Independence Day, Memorial Day is a reason to fly the flag, fire up the grill, and remember those who have fought for our country.
Unlike Veterans Day, which honors all those who have worn the uniform, Memorial Day pays tribute specifically to the fallen.
That's an important distinction, but there's another distinction that Memorial Day doesn't make: the reason our soldiers died.
Memorial Day honors the sacrifice, in other words, but not the causes that inspired people to die for their country.
In 1954, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, dissolving the remembrance of World War I in favor of a more universal tribute.
Speaking from the White House, Truman said: "This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would." Celebrations broke out across the country, including an impromptu parade in Times Square that gave birth to the iconic photo of a sailor kissing a nurse.
https://www.city-journal.org/memorial-day
Along with Independence Day, Memorial Day is a reason to fly the flag, fire up the grill, and remember those who have fought for our country.
Unlike Veterans Day, which honors all those who have worn the uniform, Memorial Day pays tribute specifically to the fallen.
That's an important distinction, but there's another distinction that Memorial Day doesn't make: the reason our soldiers died.
Memorial Day honors the sacrifice, in other words, but not the causes that inspired people to die for their country.
In 1954, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, dissolving the remembrance of World War I in favor of a more universal tribute.
Speaking from the White House, Truman said: "This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would." Celebrations broke out across the country, including an impromptu parade in Times Square that gave birth to the iconic photo of a sailor kissing a nurse.
https://www.city-journal.org/memorial-day
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