COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor all those veterans who died on the battlefields defending this country. Originally known as Decoration Day following the Civil War, it became an official national holiday in 1971.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day when it was set aside to honor all Civil War veterans. World War I changed that when the U.S. found itself in another major conflict with fallen soldiers. 116,708 Americans died during this war. Today, Memorial Day recognizes all wars including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
America has declared war 11 times during five conflicts, the first being the War of 1812 with Great Britain and the last being Afghanistan in 2001.
Some notable wars the US has been involved in:
World War I – In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson led America into war with Germany to “make the world safe for democracy.” More than 116,000 soldiers were killed in this war.
World War II – On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire attacked Pearl Harbor and 3,500 American servicemen were killed or wounded. Many of these young men were in their early 20s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war that same day and said this is “a date which will live in infamy.” Three days later Germany and Italy declared war and the U.S. became fully engaged in WWII. Around 407,000 Americans were killed in WWII, according to History.com.
Afghanistan – Americans will forever remember the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. 2,977 innocent men women and children were killed that fateful day by the attack on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and the hijacked plane in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This attack on American soil led to America’s invasion of Afghanistan and the search for the Taliban. 2,462 soldiers were killed in the Afghanistan War. New York City became a city united to pull together and put the pieces back together.
The number of deaths from these three wars is staggering. Thousands of young men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice over the years. Please, join Curtis A Smith VFW Post 1033 on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. at the Alleghany County Courthouse and help them pay tribute to all the men and women who gave so much for citizens to live in this free land called America. Boys Home will be participating in this year’s commemoration.
The National Moment of Remembrance is an annual event when Americans pause for a minute of silence at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. The 3 p.m. time was chosen because it is when many Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. It is intended to be a unifying act of remembrance for Americans of all ages. Everyone is invited take this minute to honor all veterans and honor this day.
