Memorial Day on May 30 conjures images of hamburgers, hot dogs, swimming pools, and summertime for many Americans
But the last Monday in May serves, most importantly, as a time to honor those who died while fighting in the U.S. Armed Forces.
It’s a holiday steeped in somber American history and tradition.
The day actually began as “Decoration Day,” following the Civil War, when mourners placed flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers.
Yes, Memorial Day has also come to signify the “unofficial” start of summer, but let’s remember the heroes who made it all possible.
Men and women who’ve served and sacrificed their lives in the U.S. Armed Forces are honored on Memorial Day on May 30.
The Civil War ended in the spring of 1865 when Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House on April 9.
Over 620,000 soldiers died in the four-year conflict.
General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic (an organization of Union veterans) would eventually select May 30, 1868, as a day to pay tribute to the fallen