Remembering Memorial Day

I have featured Angela Pan's photography in BeeLine previously. Angela is based in Washington, D.C. and some of her best work features the the monuments and memorials in our capital city.

 These images truly honor the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom through the years.  May they never be forgotten.

World War II Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

Iwo Jima Memorial

Manassas Battlefield

Manassas was the site of two major Civil War Battles.  The First Battle of Bull Run (July 21, 1861) and a Second Battle of Bull Run (August 28-30, 1862). Over 20,000 Americans were killed or wounded in the two battles.

Memorial Day began as a day of remembrance for those who perished in the Civil War.  Originally it was called "Decoration Day", a term I still remember my grandparents using to refer to the day.  It originally was celebrated on May 30 of each year which I also remember. The holiday was established as the last Monday in May by an Act of Congress in 1971.

Lest we ever think about forgetting these are the numbers of Americans who have laid their lives down for us per Wikipedia.

Civil War	625,000
WWII	405,399
WWI	116,516
Vietnam War	58,209
Korean War	36,516
Revolutionary War	25,000
War of 1812	20,000
Mexican-American War	13,283
War on Terror	6,518
Phillipine-American War	4,196