Memorial Day - 27 May 2013

Source of picture - Haraz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press

Memorial Day is a holiday that has evolved dramatically over the years. Memorial Day observances began after the Civil War to honor the Union soldiers who gave their lives in the conflict. They were expanded after World War I to become a tribute to the dead of all the nation’s wars.

When Memorial Day began, the war dead were placed front and center. The holiday’s original name, Decoration Day, came from the day’s main activity: leaving flowers at cemeteries.

More recently, the last Monday in May, and the weekend preceding it, has come to mark the unofficial beginning of summer for many. Along with parades doused in red, white and blue, cook-outs in the backyard and excursions to the local beach fill the long weekend.

United in grief: Brayden Corey and his grandmother Gayle Thomas of Roseburg, Oregon share a moment at the grave of Jackie Thomas, Brayden's grandfather and Gayle's husband at the Roseburg National Cemetery

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ay-America-remembers-war-heroes-veterans.html

Picture from AP

Never forgotten: Mrs Waring leans on the headstone for her son Brian Scott Waring who died on April 9, 2011

Brian Scott Waring passed away on April 9, 2011 at the age of 40. He served in the U.S. Army from 1993 until 2000 before joining the Coast Guard in Savannah, Georgia.

Picture from AP

Flying the flag: A child cycles through the memorials bearing names of College Point veterans during the Memorial Day Parade in New York

Picture from AP