Memorial Day 2024 in United States Significance, Quotes, History and Traditions
That Honours Military Personnel Who Died Serving The United States
Memorial Day 2024 commemorates military personnel who died serving in armed forces of the United States. The day was earlier known as Decoration Day was later changed to Memorial Day. On this day people visit the grave of soldiers and decorate it with flowers, wreaths and flags as a rememberance for their contribution to the motherland. Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of the Civil War soldiers. This U.S. federal holiday is now observed on the last Monday of May following varying practices. National Memorial Day 2024 falls on May 25. Memorial Day 2024 During COVID-19 Pandemic: From Virtual Experiences to Incorporating Social Distancing Measure, Ways To to Honour The Fallen Amid Coronavirus Outbreak.
The observance began as an event to pay tribute to the soldiers who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by how the people of the Southern States honoured their dead people. On this day, people remember the sacrifices of the soldiers which resulted in the freedom we enjoy today. People often share images on social media which reads ‘Memorial Day, Remember and Honour’ on this day.
Memorial Day Traditions
On Memorial Day, people go for picnics, conduct sports events and meet their family member. This day which falls during summer is also seen as the start of many cultural events. Many sport white clothes on this day.
National Memorial Day 2024 History And Significance
Memorial Day originally honoured only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date which was earlier selected for the first Decoration Day. In 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to establish Memorial Day on the last Monday in May which created a three-day weekend for federal employees. But until, 1971, it did not become an official federal holiday. Later, during the first national commemoration, former Union Gen. and sitting Ohio Congressman James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. Following which, around 5000 participants came forward to decorate the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.
After the American Civil War, New York became the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. After World War I, it became a tradition to honour those who died in America War’s and so widely established as a national holiday throughout the United States.
Memorial Day 2024 Quotes
1. “Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.”- Barack Obama
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(Unsplash)
2. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy
3. “Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion.”- Calvin Coolidge
4. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”- Theodore Roosevelt
5. “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”- Franklin D. Roosevelt
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6. “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”- General Douglas MacArthur
7. “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”- Eleanor Roosevelt
8. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”- Joseph Campbell
9. “Never was so much owed by so many few.”- Winston Churchill
10. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” -Thomas Campbell
11. “Home of the free, because of the brave.” – Unknown
12. “To those in uniform serving today and to those who have served in the past, we honor you today and every day.”- Unknown
13. “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”- Norman Schwarzkopf
14.”The brave die never, though they sleep in dust, their courage nerves a thousand living men.”- Minot J. Savage
15. “May we never forget freedom isn’t free.”- Unknown
16. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”- James Allen
17. “Veterans are a symbol of what makes our nation great, and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom.”- Rodney Frelinghuysen
18. “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”- Unknown
19. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived.”- George S. Patton
20. “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”- Benjamin Disraeli
21. “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”- James A. Garfield
22. “Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours.”- Wallace Bruce
23. “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”- Elmer Davis
24. “Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well.”- Jennifer M. Granholm
25. “Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.”- Mary Roach
26. “Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”- Sun Tzu
27. “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”- G.K. Chesterson
28. “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”- Adlai Stevenson II
29. “And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.”- Joseph Rodman Drake
30. “America without her soldiers would be like God without His angels.”- Claudia Pemberton
31. “So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”- Helen Keller
32. “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory there would be no civilization, no future.”- Elie Wisel
33. “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” – Adlai Stevenson
34. “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.”- Charles de Gaulle
35. “I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”- John Thune
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36. “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.”- Jeff Miller
37. “I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism.”- Bob Riley
38. “There is nothing nobler than risking your life for your country.”- Nick Lampson
39. “Over all our happy country – over all our Nation spread, is a band of noble heroes– is our Army of the Dead.”- Will Carleton
40. “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”- John F. Kennedy
