Memorial Day is a holiday that honors members of the military who died while serving the United States. Many people spend the day remembering soldiers and visiting memorials or cemeteries to honor those who sacrificed their lives for the country. Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 25, this year.
Sixth grader Evin Shelton shared his uncle’s military experience.
“My uncle started as a cannoneer …” Shelton said. “Then, he volunteered for special forces.”
Shelton also explained what Memorial Day means to him.
“To me, it means reflecting on how brave veterans and soldiers sacrificed themselves to save us, and it tells us how we can help the world just like they did,” Shelton said.
According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, the holiday began after the Civil War, when people decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers. Back then, it was called Decoration Day. Now, it’s celebrated as Memorial Day. The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a group that helped Union veterans, worked to make it a national holiday.
Sixth-grade Social Studies teacher, Joe Martinez, thinks learning about Memorial Day is important for students because it teaches about gratitude for those who put others above themselves.
“Hundreds of thousands of American service members have been killed in battle or on while on active duty. Each and every single one of those people has their own story; their lifes’ paths led them to service, and they gave the ultimate sacrifice. It is important to remember that there are countless people whose names we, personally, will never know that lost their lives so that we could live in a safe, free world,” Martinez said.
Memorial Day is now a day to honor soldiers who died while serving in the military to protect the United States.
“It was created as a holiday to honor these individuals, and many towns and cities have parades or ceremonies for this purpose. It has become the unofficial ‘start of summer,’ with many people going to the beach, having barbecues, and spending time with friends and family,” Martinzed explained. “Memorial Day is a special holiday because of the nature of who and what the holiday honors. It’s great to have fun doing warm weather activities and enjoy the festivities; but, at the very least I would encourage people to reflect on the privileges we have, in part because of those who died in defense of our nation.”
