Memorial Day is May 29 this year and News4JAX wants to help honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America.
We are creating a special ‘Memorial Day’ category on SnapJAX and we’d love it if you would share a photo and a few details of a loved one who gave their life in the Armed Forces. Here’s how:
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- Go to www.News4JAX.com/SnapJAX
- Click the ‘Channel’ dropdown box under the map and choose ‘Events’
- Select the ‘Memorial Day’ category next to it
Tell us your loved one’s name, the branch of the military they served in and for how long and any other details you’d liked to share. We will feature some of them throughout our newscasts on Memorial Day.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Many volunteers place American flags on the graves of military personnel in national cemeteries.
The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868. Then known as Decoration Day, the holiday was proclaimed by Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic to honor the Union soldiers who had died in the Civil War. This national observance was preceded by many local ones between the end of the Civil War and Logan’s declaration. Many cities and people have claimed to be the first to observe it. However, in 2022, the National Cemetery Administration, a division of the Department of Veterans Affairs, credited Mary Ann Williams with originating the “idea of strewing the graves of Civil War soldiers - Union and Confederate” with flowers.
Wikipedia