Remembering the Fallen on Memorial Day 2024

A Soldier assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” places U.S. flags at headstones in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., in advance of Memorial Day weekend, May 23, 2024. (photo by:
Elizabeth Fraser, Arlington National Cemetery)

Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is an annual day of remembrance to honor all those who died in service to the U.S. during peacetime and war. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers place American flags on graves at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time.

While Memorial Day honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, Veterans Day — November 11 — celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all who served — not only those who died — have sacrificed and done their duty.

The Memorial Day observance began as Decoration Day when flowers were placed on graves of the fallen, with the first national celebration conducted at Arlington National Cemetery, May 30, 1868. Just five years earlier, during his speech at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery (now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery) on Nov. 19. 1863, President Abraham Lincoln asked the nation “to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…” Given these events, it can certainly be argued that the nation’s resolve to honor those who died in service was born out of the tragedy of the Civil War.

At the turn of the century, Decoration Day was designated as Memorial Day. In 1971, federal law changed the observance to the last Monday in May. In 2000, in an effort to put the “memorial” back in Memorial Day, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act. At 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, all Americans are asked to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a one-minute moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to “Taps.”

Memorial Day traditions include may cities and small towns across the United States hosting Memorial Day parades, incorporating active and retired military personnel and members of veterans organizations. Many Americans use the Memorial Day weekend to visit cemeteries and memorials. Many others take weekend trips or throw parties and have barbecues on the holiday weekend because it has come to be known as the unofficial beginning of summer.

These are all fine traditions, but lest we forget the real purpose of Memorial Day we must remember that each Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine killed in the line of duty is more than a number. Noted military historian and author Rick Atkinson wrote of the lives lost in WWII: “Each death is as unique as a snowflake or a fingerprint. The most critical lesson for every American is to understand, viscerally, that this vast host died one by one by one; to understand in your bones that they died for you.”

The CGSC Foundation encourages all Americans to honor Memorial Day for its intended purpose and to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance on the afternoon of Monday, May 27 – taking a moment of silence to remember and honor the fallen.

Another way to honor our fallen is to participate in the annual Wreaths Across America campaign. Wreaths of remembrance may be sponsored through the CGSC Foundation’s Wreaths Across America website to honor the fallen in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery on Dec. 14. Volunteers are also welcome to attend that day and participate in laying wreaths. For more information and to sponsor a wreath, click the link below.

https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/KS0101P

If you would like to honor a specific fallen veteran:

Click the link above to visit the CGSC Foundation’s WAA page
Click “Sponsor Wreaths”
Select the “In Honor and Memory of” option
Fill out the form and select “yes” to post a message on Wreaths Across America’s “Remember” page

More About Memorial Day:

Memorial Day was first established in 1868 as Decoration Day and observed on May 30.
No other wars have claimed as many American lives as the Civil War, which left somewhere between 600,000 to 750,000 dead, or roughly 2% of the population at the time.
In World War II, roughly 400,000 Americans died, about 1/3 of one percent of the population – then about 133 million.
In Vietnam just under 60,000 U.S. service members perished.
In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday and moved it to the last Monday in May along with other federal holidays.
In 2000, in an effort to put the “memorial” back in Memorial Day, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act. At 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, all Americans are asked to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a one-minute moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to “Taps.”
Since 2001, about 7,000 Americans or 2/10ths of one percent of our 300 million-person country have died in combat areas in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world in the War on Terror.

Memorial Day Links:

DoD Spotlight on Memorial Day

U.S. Army Sgt. Major of Public Affairs Memorial Day commentary