Memorial Day: Honoring the fallen

Today is Memorial Day in the US.

Over the weekend, flags fly at half-mast, graves are decorated with flowers and family members pay their respects at national cemeteries. Ceremonies honoring fallen soldiers - of all wars and conflicts - take place across the country.

In many places, Boy Scout Troops - as part of their commitment to community service - place flags on each soldier’s grave.

See below two newspaper articles  on the holiday, from the New York Sun (May 31, 1872) and the Hawaiian Gazette (May 30, 1911). Click on each article image to see the original page from the Library of Congress' Chronicling America site, and learn more.

The day was first observed in 1865 to remember fallen Civil War soldiers; it was then called Decoration Day.

The Hawaiian Gazette reported on Decoration Day (Credit: Library of Congress, Chronicling America, Hawaiian Gazette)

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