Washington, weekend activities in honor of the fallen military

2023-05-28 18:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Memorial Day is a national holiday in the United States, dedicated to those who gave their lives while serving in the military. As Voice of America correspondent Penelope Poulou reports, to mark this day that is remembered on the last Monday of May, people gather in Washington visiting the graves of fallen soldiers and national monuments, as well as to follow the parades that are organized.

American flags adorn the graves of over 228,000 servicemen buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

For this annual flag raising ceremony, which began in 1948, more than 1,000 soldiers and volunteers place flags in front of each headstone on the eve of Memorial Day, an American national holiday observed on the last Monday in May. to honor the military who sacrificed their lives fighting for their country.

In Washington, more than a dozen military monuments are dedicated to those who fought for the United States, from the American Revolution in the 1700s, to modern conflicts like Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond.

One of the most well-known Memorial Day destinations is the Marine Memorial, a statue erected after the famous 1945 photograph of Marines raising the American flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during World War II.

At the World War II Memorial, stone columns and bronze wreaths commemorate the more than 400,000 American servicemen who gave their lives during that conflict.

At the Vietnam War Memorial, the names of over 58,000 men and women who died during this controversial war are inscribed on a black granite wall.

Millions of visitors come to the US capital on Memorial Day, not only to mourn the fallen, but also to celebrate the day.

The National Memorial Parade, a longstanding Washington tradition, takes place annually on the National Walk and features military bands and marching units.

Valentine's Day is also a day of optimism, marking the beginning of the summer season in the United States./ VOA