Memorial Day is not just a long weekend for great sales at the stores. More important it is a day to honor soldiers who have fallen serving our nation. Congress declared the last Monday in May a national holiday in 1971. However, the celebration of Memorial Day dates back to Decoration Day, first widely observed on May 30, 1868 by General Orders No. 11 written by John A. Logan. Flowers and decorations were placed on the graves of fallen Civil War soldiers. Today numerous volunteers place small flags at each grave at Arlington National Cemetery and customarily the President delivers a speech at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and places a wreath there.
The political causes of war are often controversial, but remembering and honoring the men and women who fought and paid the ultimate price for our nation should not be. Below are a few sites about modern wars you might visit and incorporate in class discussions about US history.
List of National Memorials
Arlington Cemetery
Vietnam Memorial
Vietnam War Museum
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Korean War Museum
Women in Military Service
World War I Museum
World War II Memorial
World War II Museum
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Showing posts with label War History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War History. Show all posts
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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