Monday is Memorial Day in the U.S. – a day to pay tribute to the individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States. It was first established on a national level in 1868 (3 years after the Civil War) and became a federal holiday in 1971.

In 1950, the Congress, by a joint resolution, approved a request to the president to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating ...