Memorial Day, the Day We Honor Our Fallen Servicemen and Servicewomen

Chatting with Dr Leonard Richardson

Memorial Day, the day we pay respects to our fallen military, is observed on the last Monday of May. It commemorates all servicemen & servicewomen of the United States. People visit cemeteries & memorials on Memorial Day. Since the attack on America on September 11, 2001, a total of 147 women deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait have lost their lives in service to America. Most Americans, & even members of the media, not aware that 147 brave servicewomen have died in the War on Terrorism. With few exceptions, news stories about their tragic deaths usually appear only in the military press, or in small hometown newspaper stories & TV accounts that rarely capture national attention. Military hospitals nationwide have cared for many female heroes who have lost limbs. When 2 women Marines & a female sailor were killed in a Fallujah truck attack in June 2005, 11 more were sent to Brooke Medical Center in Texas, which specializes in the treatment of severe burns. 100s have received medals for serious injuries & for personal valor under fire. Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers who had died during the Civil War. The Southerners honored their dead was the inspiration. After World War I, Memorial Day was extended to include all servicemen who died in any war or military action. Memorial Day, originally Decoration Day, did not come into use until after World War II. Decoration Day & the later Memorial Day were held on May 30th, regardless of the day of the week on which it fell. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal holidays to create 3-day weekends. This meant that that, from 1971, Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in May.