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Memorial Day

old photo of memorial day

The forgotten history of Memorial Day

History

The holiday was Memorial Day, and this year’s commemoration on May 27 marks the 151st anniversary of its official nationwide observance. The annual commemoration was born in the former Confederate States in 1866 and adopted by the United States in 1868. It is a holiday in which the nation honors its military dead.

Dutch and U.S. flags decorate the graves at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten.

Generations of Dutch citizens still trek to the graves of US World War II soldiers

Conflict
A Confederate battle flag flies at the grave of a Confederate Civil War soldier in South Carolina

The Confederate origins of Memorial Day

Global Politics

The History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day with Veterans and their Families

The World

What Memorial Day Was Meant to Be

Arts, Culture & Media

Joining The Takeaway to talk about the origins of Memorial Day and how the meaning has morphed over the decades is Caroline Janney, an assistant professor of history at Purdue University.

The World

Taps: the nation’s most famous bugle call

Arts, Culture & Media

As Memorial Day approaches, we speak with a bugle player who volunteers at military services. Forrest Tosie is the Missouri state director of Bugles Across America, a non-profit organization that provides live buglers for veteran and active-duty military funerals. This Memorial Day, he’ll be playing Taps for the St. Louis-area Veterans of Foreign Wars.