By Jaymi Firestone | May 26, 2019 |
Memorial Day is more than just a day off from work, an excellent occasion for a backyard barbecue or a chance to travel. Those things do speak to the holiday’s true spirit. But above all else, Memorial Day honors Americans who have died in service to their country.
Many choose to celebrate Memorial Day by enjoying the many freedoms that American servicemen and women have perished protecting. These of course include fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, trial by jury, and freedom of religion. The list also covers the way we choose to spend our time, including the 60% of Americans who enjoy a celebratory barbecue on Memorial Day weekend.
Memorial Day’s place on the calendar has made it the unofficial start of summer for many, but the purpose behind this long weekend lies in the lives that have been sacrificed so that we can enjoy freedoms many other countries do not allow.
To help you get to know this holiday even better, here are some staggering facts about this day and the men and women who have served our country!
US Military Facts:
- 45 Million Veterans have served the country during wartime.
- 15 Million of those Veterans are projected to be living in 2019
- 260K Graves at Arlington National Cemetery are adorned with the American flag each Memorial Day.
- 96 of the 116th Congress have served in the US Military.
- The 1st state to officially recognize Memorial Day was New York in 1873.
- In 1939, there were 334,473 serving in the US Military branches
- In 2019, there are 1.3 Million active-duty service members in the US Military, with 865K in the US Military Reserves.
- The largest branch of the military is the Army.
Casualties by War (most well-known):
- 320K lost their lives in WWI
- 1.08 Million lost their lives in WWII
- 128K lost their lives in the Korean War
- 211K lost their lives in the Vietnam War
- 20K lost their lives in the war in Afghanistan
- 32K lost their lives in the war in Iraq
In total, including the small wars that have been fought also, 2.8 Million have lost their lives in total in wars around the world, fighting for our freedom.
It seems over the years Memorial Day has lost its true meaning, and has come to represent the luxuries of our society and the best sales since President’s Day. It has become a day we use as the start to summer, or a free day off of work.
However, for those who have served, and the families of those who did not come home, it is anything but a retail holiday or just a day to sleep in.
Memorial Day is a somber day of remembrance.
It is a day to honor the ultimate sacrifice so many of the brothers and sisters in arms have made for this exceptional nation. It is a day to remember what this country was founded on, and how it has been kept secure by the blood of patriots.
It is a day to honor and remember the men and women who’ve heeded the call to stand and defend all that we hold dear: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Sure, we will enjoy a family cookout and a cold one this Memorial Day, but we should also set time aside to honor our fallen.
It is a somber day, but also happy and prideful.
These great warriors sacrificed everything to ensure we sleep peacefully at night under the protective blanket of freedom they helped provide.
So, this year, take your loved ones to a Memorial Day event, place the Stars and Stripes on the gravesite of an American military service member, or set time aside to reflect on the sacrifices that have been made to ensure we remain the land of the free.
After all, we are only free because of the brave.
