Memorial Day – Remembering Our Fallen Soldiers

Monday, May 28, is Memorial Day in the U.S. On this day, the country honors the men and women who have given their lives while serving in the U.S. military. Typically, the day is celebrated by visiting cemeteries, attending parades and family gatherings.

Memorial Day was first introduced after the end of the Civil War. However, after the devastation of World War I, the day was expanded to encompass all American soldiers who have died in service. Most people celebrate the holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. To this day, the graves of fallen soldiers are decorated with American flags and flowers to honor them for their sacrifice. Families traditionally gather in celebration and may even watch one of the many parades featuring military personnel.

The holiday also provides the opportune time to work on your family’s genealogy. While your family is together, share some stories about your military ancestors. Share with your family some of the things you have learned about your family history. It may even help rekindle some memories! There are several projects on Geni dedicated to researching the genealogy of fallen soldiers. Let’s take a look at a couple below!

The World War I – Wall of Honor project is dedicated to the memory of all people who lost their lives in World War I. Did you have a relative who served?

Most recently, the World War II project dedicated to the Battle of Wake Island has requested support in adding information for those who were held prisoner by the Japanese after the attack. Sometimes referred to as the “Alamo of the Pacific,” Wake Island was attacked at the same time as Pearl Harbor. Join the project to help add more information for over 1,600 possible profiles.

There are a large number of military projects dedicated to researching military ancestors. We suggest you take some time to check out these projects on Geni. Are you participating in a project dedicated to the memories of fallen soldiers? Did you have a relative who lost their life while serving the country? Share their story with us!

Will you spend the holiday researching your military ancestors? Let us know how you are celebrating Memorial Day in the comments below!