{"id":14669,"date":"2022-05-25T11:24:06","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T09:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=112779"},"modified":"2022-05-25T12:42:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T10:42:11","slug":"a-brief-history-of-memorial-day-in-the-usa","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/a-brief-history-of-memorial-day-in-the-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"A brief history of Memorial Day in the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Peter Caddick-Adams\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 25 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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What is the meaning of Memorial Day? What does America commemorate on Memorial Day?<\/h2>\n

The United States has several days on which it recognises members of its armed forces, past and present. This is partly on account of its huge population (roughly 330 million), but also because America acknowledges its veteran community as coming from six uniformed services: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Currently, its regular and reserve components total around 0.75 per cent of the population \u2013 more than two million men and women. With an average enlistment period of around 15 years, a far larger percentage of the US population have links with serving military or veterans than most other countries.<\/p>\n

Serving personnel are recognised on Armed Forces Day, observed on the third Saturday of May each year, while former service members are commemorated on Veterans Day, a national holiday which falls on 11 November. The most significant time, when America pauses to reflect on their fallen (also a national holiday), occurs on Memorial Day.<\/p>\n

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A veteran holding a flag during Memorial Day ceremonies, Virginia, 1941. (Photo by \u00a9 CORBIS\/Corbis via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

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What are the origins of Memorial Day? When was the first Memorial Day and what was it originally known as?<\/h2>\n

Initially, widespread recognition of American war dead occurred on Decoration Day, initiated in 1868 in the aftermath of the American Civil War<\/a> (1861\u201365), and eventually fixed for 30 May every year, the unofficial start of the summer vacation season. The recent graves of the 600,000 who fell in battle were decorated with flags, flowers and wreaths. In turn, this had evolved from unofficial ceremonies that had sprung up in many states, during and after the Civil War, including observance in the old Southern Confederacy.<\/p>\n