Since the Declaration of Independence was signed, more than a million men and women have died fighting for the creation and then the defense of the United States. On Memorial Day, we take a moment as a nation to honor the sacrifices of those men and women.
The day was observed in 1868 to honor Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. The holiday was then known as “Decoration Day,” but Congress changed the name in 1968 and moved it to the last Monday in May. When the public holiday began, communities across the country gathered and walked to cemeteries where they placed flags on the graves of those who died fighting for America. Memorial Day parades today are extensions of that tradition.
Most holidays feel the same, no matter who is in the White House. However, patriotic holidays such as the Fourth of July and Memorial Day can be different. It matters that President Donald Trump has a strong, instinctive, and laudable prejudice in favor of the country he leads. Trump believes the U.S. is the best country on Earth and that it has been a force for good, even if not for perfection, throughout history, including with its many military actions abroad, where hundreds of thousands of men have lost their lives.
