Memorial Day

Red outer band on top with aged white text and blue outer band on bottom with aged white text. Blue background with aged white stars, and red and aged white stripes in center, overlaid with three circles with black and aged white images of soldiers and black text. Tattered red, white, and blue ribbon at bottom of button.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday recognized in the United States on the last Monday of May since 1868. It's a day to honor those in the military who have died in the line of duty. One way to express thankfulness and respect is by placing flowers or flags on their gravestones and remembering the past wars in which they fought. The dates on this button are significant: In 1861 a confederate nation was formed in the United States setting off the Civil War. The Spanish-American lasted several months in 1898. And in 1917, the United States joined as allies in World War I.