Every year around this time, millions of Americans spend Memorial Day weekend enjoying family barbecues and ball games. But Memorial Day is much more than the unofficial start to summer; it’s a day of remembrance honoring the men and women who died protecting the United States.
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Throughout the United States, many sites will host events in memory of our fallen soldiers. Whitehouse.gov has compiled a list of 9 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day in Your National Parks.
- Pennsylvania — Independence National Historical Park will host activities and presentations throughout the day. Visitors will discover what it was like to be a soldier in the American Revolutionary War.
- Texas — Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park pays tribute to the lives lost in the first battle of the U.S.-Mexican War, one of our American Latino Heritage Fund sites.
- Louisiana — Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve pays tribute to America’s fallen troops, from the War of 1812 to to the present day, at Chalmette National Cemetery.
- Tennessee — Shiloh National Military Park is reflecting on the sacrifices of this nation’s military personnel by listening to living historians as they interpret wars from colonial times to today.
- Washington, D.C. — The mecca of historical sites. Visit the numerous sites at the National Mall & Memorial Parks, and take some time to remember the contributions and service of American veterans both at home and abroad, especially on Memorial Day.
- Alabama — Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is one of the first African American Experience Fund sites. It recognizes the valiant dedication of the first African American military pilots in World War II.
- Maryland — Join Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine as it pays tribute to the graves of veterans who served in the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I and II, and the Korean War.
- Pennsylvania — Flight 93 National Memorial honors the lives of the passengers and crew members who joined together for an extraordinary act of selflessness.
- Online — Through an interactive website, you can explore the Lincoln Memorial and reflections on its history.
For more ideas on places to go and things to do this Memorial Day weekend, visit whitehouse.gov.
SOURCE: Whitehouse.gov
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