Memorial Day for Millenials
The lost significance of a good thing is tragic. This coming Monday, our nation will be collectively observing Memorial Day thanks in part to a law passed by Congress in 1968. That wasn't the beginning of Memorial Day, but it was when the holiday was officially set aside to commemorate lost soldiers from any and every conflict our nation has been involved in. The significance of the holiday goes back to the Civil War, however, where it was first called Decoration Day - a day for businesses and schools to shut down and for the community to collectively decorate the graves of the soldiers who died in that war, still our bloodiest conflict by a long shot. Two World Wars added significance, primarily due to their prominence in civilian life and the heroic portrayal of our soldiers. The public unity of opinion on our involvement in those wars made it easy to collectively celebrate the sacrifice they made. But World War II proved to be the last conflict to date that we'd enter ...