On what is considered by many as the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day is usually a time of celebration. Fireworks, concerts, BBQs, the opening of public pools…all some of the traditional hallmarks of this time of year. For many, schools are either out, or about to get out (weather dependent for some parts of the nation). Especially this year, after 2020, when many of the normal trappings of the holiday were suspended, it should be an expressive time for celebration.
Yet amid all the traditional celebrations, there is the primary reason for the holiday. While Memorial Day did not officially become a federal holiday until 1971, people throughout the U.