Happy Memorial Day 2020!

Thank you Veterans and current military personnel for your service, sacrifice, and our freedom. You are a part of history and have helped shape us as a country. Today is a day to pause in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I hope you enjoy reading the following information I have tried to put together in a short summary of which wars Memorial Day commemorates and how Memorial Day came about. While reading through the different war timelines some of the information was a review for me but some were new! I hope you enjoy reading more about these historical wars and how they shaped our country. Many men and women gave their lives for our country and what we stand for; freedom. Freedom doesn't come free and our freedom was paid for by the men and women who laid down their lives. They paved the way for our great country to thrive and continue to lead. I hope today is a reminder to not take what we have for granted. Thank your fellow veterans for their service. And remember those who paved the way for our futures.

Should I say Happy Memorial Day?

I went to send a text to my friend who served in the military and thank him for his service and when I wrote 'Happy Memorial Day' it felt kind of counterintuitive. It felt weird to say 'Happy' when I didn't feel like remembering fallen shoulders would be a happy memory for him. Especially if some of his comrades were a part of the fallen. So, I ended up just thanking him for his service.

On the other hand, it is a happy day to celebrate those heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We are able to spend this day with our family and friends at cookouts and beaches because of the heroes who fought for us to be able to have that life.

Honestly, I think you should say what feels right for you and the one you are thanking for their service. It might even be ok to ask them what they prefer? This can lead to a conversation about their time in the military and give you a chance to connect with them on a deeper level. What a better way to commemorate our soldiers than to listen to their story and offer homage to the ones they may have lost.

What is Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This holiday also unofficially signifies the beginning of summer.

Memorial Day and Veterans day are often mixed up. So, as a friendly reminder (because honestly, I've mixed these two days up too) Veterans Day is to honor all soldiers who have served in the military, and Memorial Day is a day to commemorate our fallen soldiers.

When did Memorial Day originate?

Memorial Day became an official holiday in 1971 originally known as Decoration Day. Decoration day was originally on May 30th honoring those who were lost in the Civil War by decorating their gravesites with flowers. It is believed that the day was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

After World War I the holiday expanded to honor all fallen soldiers who died in American Wars and Congress declared it a national holiday that lands on the last Monday in May.

The date was changed to Monday to be added with the act passed by Congress in 1968 called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day), Memorial Day, and Labor Day were all included in this act and moved permanently to Mondays. The change was put in place to provide federal workers a number of long weekends throughout the year.

Which wars does Memorial Day commemorate?

WWII (1939-1945)

How did it begin? World War II was a result of the unresolved issues from WWI. Adolf Hitler rose to power because of the economic instability in Germany and the resentment from the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty held Germany responsible for starting WWI and contained harsh penalties for Germany such as loss of territory, massive reparations payments, and demilitarization. The treaty not only humiliated Germany but it failed to resolve the underlying issues that started the war in the first place.

Who was involved? WWII was against the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria) versus the Allied Powers (U.S., Britain, France, USSR, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Yugoslavia).

How many were lost? WWII was one of the world's deadliest international wars claiming between 60-80 million people. Out of those lives lost over 400,000 were American Soldiers.

How did it end? The War finally ended on May 8, 1945 with the unconditional surrender of the Axis Powers. The Allies accepted Germany's surrender about a week after Hitler's suicide.

The Korean War (1950-1953)

How did it begin? The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when communist North Korea invaded South Korea.

Who was involved? This frustrating war went on for 3 years between the United States, The People's Republic of China, North Korea, and South Korea.

How many were lost? The war cost the lives of millions of Koreans and Chinese, as well, as over 50,000 Americans.

How did it end? Technically the war never ended. The fighting stopped when an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, agreeing to stop the bloodshed and dividing up North and South Korea. This war is sometimes known as 'The Forgotten War' or the 'Unknown War' in America due to the lack of public attention during and after the war. Most likely because of the devastation caused in comparison from WWII and the Vietnam War.

Still, over 50,000 American soldier lives were taken and these heroes will always be commemorated.

The Vietnam War (1961-1975)

How did it begin? The Vietnam War was known to be a result of several different causes including; communism during the Cold War, American containment, and European imperialism in Vietnam.

Who was involved? The Vietnam war was majorly between the North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese. After WWII France tried to regain control over some parts of Vietnam but this fell through in the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and North Vietnam came under the control of Ho Chi Minh and his communist forces. During this time however, South Vietnam was under the control of Ngo Dihn Diem and was supported by western democracies such as the United States. South Vietnam fought to preserve a Vietnam more closely aligned with the West.

The United States wanted to prevent the spread of communism so they sent "advisors" over to South Vietnam along with other financial and military aid. Our involvement began to progress until eventually in 1961 we had a major hand in the war. Essentially, the idea was that Americans needed to stop the first domino from falling into communism to stop the inevitable spread.

How many were lost? The US military estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war and 58,200 American soldiers.

How did it end? Poorly. Just poorly. This war dragged on viciously back and forth until the U.S. decided they needed to pull away. There weren't any signs of progression and Americans were beginning to question the need or morality of sending more of our troops over to assist and possibly never return home again. So, from 1954-1975 the US attempted to open up negotiations to end the war. After a prolonged back and forth to agree on halting the bombing and to have an actual negotiation, the US and it's South Vietnamese allies couldn't agree on the terms and procedures to speak with North Vietnam. By the time South Vietnam joined the talks the US changed presidents from Johnson to Nixon.

Nixon and his advisors came to the conclusion that the only way to end the war was to come to an honorable settlement that would also give South Vietnam a chance of survival. The bombing and fighting continued and Americans were pressuring Nixon to withdraw from the war. Nixon and his advisor decided that a hasty withdrawal would undermine U.S. credibility throughout the world, so Nixon proposed a program to provide South Vietnam with the high-quality weapons and training that would enable them to gradually take over sole responsibility for fighting the ground war - a program labeled Vietnamization.

Vietnamization: the U.S. policy of withdrawing its troops and transferring the responsibility and direction of the war effort to the government of South Vietnam.

In 1969 Nixon began the phases of pulling out American soldiers. Vietnamization and the phases of pulling out American soldiers seemed to be working well and seemed to be the only way to end the war. Fast forward to more attacks and the American people becoming even more on edge and pressuring the American government to end our part in the war, Nixon ended all draft calls in 1972, and in 1973 the draft was abolished in favor of an all-volunteer military.

On January 27, 1973, 'Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam' was signed by representatives of the South Vietnamese communist forces, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States. The goal was to have all U.S. soldiers to be withdrawn in 60 days after the agreement. However, North and South Vietnam kept attacking each other claiming the agreement kept being breached by the other side.

In 1974 Nixon had resigned in disgrace, and Congress cut all military and economic aid to Vietnam by 30%. South Vietnam couldn't sustain stability and Congress had denied Gerald R. Ford's, Nixon's successor, requests to send aid. Congress was ready to wash its hands of the futile war. South Vietnam ended up surrendering and on July 2, 1976, the country was officially united as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war was from 1961-1975 but the war itself went on over 20 years from 1654-1975.

Honestly, reading about the ins and outs of this war was frustrating and I can't even imagine how frustrating it must have been for the American people during this time. I encourage everyone to read more into this war as it will give you a deeper appreciation for our men and woman in uniform.

Iraq War (2003-2011)

How did it begin? The U.S. invaded Iraq under the Bush administration due to allegations that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction and the link between Saddam Hussain's government and terrorist organizations. This war was apart of the broader 'War on Terror' that resulted from the 9/11 attacks. Apparently, Saddam Hussain had a track record and this wasn't the first time he wanted to wage war on the West. After reading more into this it really sounded like a West versus East issue with Suddam. For example, the1991 Gulf War began because Saddam Hussain tried to take over Kuwait and ignored the United Nations Security Council when they ordered him to withdraw. I recommend reading more on this war to see how it ended but when it ended Saddam Hussain was still in power. Then the 9/11 attack happened with suspicion that Saddam Hussain was linked to al-Quaeda and this sprang President Bush into action. It was decided that it was time to put a stop to a sponsor of global terrorism - Saddam Hussain.

Who was involved? The United States, Great Britain, and smaller contingents from several other countries.

How many were lost? Over 4,000 soldiers were lost during this war and over 30,000 were injured. In 2007 the U.S. had 900 casualties, making it known as the year of the "surge" which is the deadliest yet for US soldiers.

How did it end? Iraqi leaders fled into hiding and Saddam Husain was captured on December 13, 2003. He was found hiding out in a one-man hole near his boyhood home of Tikrit. He was turned over to the Iraqi authorities in June 2004 to stand trial for various crimes. He was convicted of crimes against humanity and was executed on December 30, 2006. After the hanging of Saddam Hussain, President Bush announces a "new way forward" in Iraq. An additional 20,000 soldiers were committed to bringing stability in and around Baghdad. The U.S. forces begin to recruit Sunnis tribe members, who were formally against U.S. troops, but they realigned themselves to help counter the other insurgents. This group is known as the "Sunnis Awakening". The war waged on with countless suicide bombings and civilian lives lost. The war began to seem more like a war on faith/ideology rather than terrorism to some, and fighting over ideology is a lot deadlier than fighting over finite things such as a territory.

When Obama was elected President in 2008 he vowed he would start making plans on how to pull our soldiers out of the Iraq war within 16 months. Faithful to his word, troops began to withdraw in 2009 in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Iraq and the United States. Identical to the Vietnamese program in the Vietnam War, some troops stayed behind in Iraq to train the Iraqi troops to transfer over the ground war to their control. By 2011 the remainder of our troops were brought home. Unfortunately, the Iraqi government is still unstable.

Afghanistan War (2001-present)

How did it begin? The war was triggered by the 9/11 attacks and consisted of three phases. Phase one, toppling the Taliban, a religious faction that controlled most of Afghanistan since 1996 and provided sanctuary for al-Quaeda after the 9/11 attack. Phase two, defeating the Taliban military and rebuilding core institutions of the Afghan state. Phase three, temporarily increase U.S. troop presence to protect the population from Taliban attacks and supporting efforts to reintegrate insurgents into Afghan society.

The British, the American armed forces, and lots of Afghan fighters from a group called the Northern Alliance overthrew the Taliban in 2001 but the Taliban still allowed al-Quaeda to have training camps there. After the 9/11 attack, American leaders believed Osama Bin Ladin, the leader of al-Quaeda, was behind the attack and demanded the Taliban to hand him over. When the Taliban didn't do this the United States decided to use their armed forces.

Who was involved? The United States, British, Canada, and Afghanistan opposing militants hunted down the Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents across Afghanistan.

How many were lost? Over 2,300 American soldier deaths and over 20,000 injured. Our Canadian neighbors also joined this fight after 9/11 and lost 158 Canadian soldiers with over 1,800 injured.

How did it end? This 18-year Afghanistan War has become the longest war ever fought by the United States. Outlasting the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War combined. A huge turning point, or so we thought, was when Osama bin Ladin was killed by the American special force team Seal Team Six on May 2, 2011.

However, as I write this on May 25, 2020, this war is still ongoing.

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Believe it or not, I had to read up on a lot of the details regarding these wars. The following sites were my source of information while I was researching more about each war and the origin of Memorial Day. (Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, History Crunch, History.com, National Review, Council on Foreign Relations, BBC,)

#rememberourfallen #memorialday2020 #thankyouforyourservice