We live in a place that is full of wonderful opportunities to pay respect to those who have died serving our country. Here are some great places to visit to remember and honor our fallen heroes.
- Arlington National Cemetery
- National Marine Corps Museum at Quantico
- Korean War Memorial in D.C.
- Vietnam Memorial in D.C.
- World War II Memorial in D.C.
- Manassas Battlefield Park at Bull Run
- Gettysburg, PA
The following local events can be a wonderful way to teach your children about the importance of Memorial Day:
Viva Vienna Memorial Day Festival - May 27th, 28th, and 29th
Fireworks at Kings Dominion - May 29th
D.C. Memorial Day Parade - May 29th
Quantico Memorial Day - Place a Flag - May 26th
Raising the Regiment May 27th
 Getty Images Pro via Canva |
Did you know...
- The Grand Army of the Republic began decorating the graves of fallen service members with flowers in May 1868, which was then known as "Decoration Day."
- In 1971 Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday, to be observed on the last Monday in May, moving it from the static date of May 30, in order to create a 3-day weekend.
- On the Thursday before Memorial Day, small American flags are placed at each of the 400,000+ gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery and other cemeteries nationwide.
- To encourage more people to observe Memorial Day, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act in 2000, which asks people to stop what they are doing at 3 p.m. local time and observe a minute of silence to honor those who lost their lives defending the country.
- On Memorial Day, the flag should first be raised to the top of the staff, then slowly lowered to half-staff, until noon when it should be raised to the top of the staff for the rest of the day.
- Red poppies are considered the Memorial Day flower. It's referenced in the poem "In Flanders Fields." and refers to the fields of poppies growing among soldiers' graves during WWI.
"We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them." ~Francis A. Walker
