American Veterans Stories, Honoring our Veterans, Remembering Our Veterans

A former nurse who inadvertently became part of an iconic World War Two photograph when she locked lips with a celebrating US sailor has died, her family confirmed Wednesday.

Anyone who has cleaned out a family attic knows the importance of keeping family records. You may have military records from relatives who served in one of the World Wars—or even the Civil War. Or pictures of your great-great grandparents on the day they became American citizens. Or the canceled check that paid for your first home. Now imagine the task of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)—the nation’s record keeper.

I was in my living room reading a book with the television on low. It was a warm, pleasant June evening in 1996, and I was glad to have some time to myself. Then a photo flashed on the screen, an image that had haunted me for years. No matter how often I saw it, the pain came back to me. How could I be forgiven? How could I even speak of my part in it?

VETERAN’S HISTORY:
1789 – A law was passed to give money to soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
1861 – The Civil War broke out. The number of Union veterans grew from 80,000 to 2 million!

Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the American military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer.