From 1971 onwards, the Memorial Day holiday was officially observed on the last Monday in May and became the unofficial start of the summer, with barbecues, blockbuster movie openings and mattress sales. ↗
After I was banned from the cemetery, I held a memorial for our fallen soldiers. But hugging a statue just isn’t the same as cuddling a veteran's skeleton. ↗
I am going to take something I learned over in Israel. Their Independence Day is preceded the 24 hours before with Memorial Day, so it gives them a chance to serve and reflect and then celebrate. I am going to try to start that tradition here in America. ↗
I spent some time at White Memorial Medical Center as a senior medical student doing a rotation in surgery; however, I felt I wasn't getting enough time assisting. ↗
137 years later, Memorial Day remains one of America's most cherished patriotic observances. The spirit of this day has not changed - it remains a day to honor those who died defending our freedom and democracy. ↗
But we cannot rely on memorials and museums alone. We can tell ourselves we will never forget and we likely won't. But we need to make sure that we teach history to those who never had the opportunity to remember in the first place. ↗
