A Day of Remembrance: Memorial Day 2016

Memorial Day began after the Civil War as a specific day on which to remember those men who died on the Union side during the conflict. After World War II the day was changed to honor and remember the men and women who gave their lives in the service of the United States in any war.

 

The day is special in my family because my uncle, John Thomas Jackson was killed in Italy during World War II. He and his brothers served in almost all branches of the service. From the stories in our family John, also called “Peepsi,” was something of a daredevil. He was stationed in Italy and volunteered to go on a scouting mission outside of Salerno and was killed by a sniper. One of my cousins is named for him and my father informed me numerous times that I would had been named after him had I been a boy.

 

I’m sure if you have a member of your family who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedom, you’ll also be remembering them this Memorial Day.

Graves at Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day. Photo is courtesy of Wikipedia and is in the public domain.

 

Filed under: Holidays, Jenna Jaxon