Memorial Day is observed annually in the United States on the last Monday in May. Memorial Day originated in the 1860s to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. For more information on Memorial Day, including instructional resources, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Memorial Day webpage at www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/, the U.S. Memorial Day website at www.usmemorialday.org/, the History.com website at www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-history, and the U.S. Center for Military History website at www.history.army.mil/html/reference/holidays/memday/.
For more on Memorial Day 2012 and related events, visit the Military.com Memorial Day page.
