Memorial Day weekend is upon us.
As we take time to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice we will take a peek at this Memorial Day around the country, a day which is better described as a commemoration than a celebration.
This is the day the nation honors military members who died in service to the country. Its origins can be traced to local observances for soldiers whose gravesites were neglected during the Civil War. It was originally called Decoration Day, a day to decorate soldiers’ graves.
According to the National Museum of the U.S. Army, the observance of Memorial Day in late May is thought to be influenced by Illinois Congressman John Logan, a Civil War veteran who believed Memorial Day should take place when flowers are in full bloom across the country.
President Biden and First Lady Jilly Biden will take part in a number of ceremonies to honor Memorial Day today. After hosting a Memorial Day breakfast at the White House, the President and First Lady will then head to Arlington National Cemetery where they will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
President Biden will deliver his Memorial Day Address from the cemetery before returning to the White House. He and the First Lady will finish Memorial Day by meeting with families of military members who have passed away.
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When it comes to those cookouts, the bill heats up. Memorial Day cookouts are costing Americans more this year as the price of goods continues to surge.
The price per package of ground beef increased by nearly 15 percent from last year, while the cost of frozen meat packages like chicken increased by nearly 16 percent. Hot dogs, hamburger and hot dog buns and other cookout fixings such as sliced cheese, tomatoes and lettuce have also sharply increased in price. Food prices were nearly 10 percent higher this year than last.
Though travel numbers and costs are up, airlines are still canceling flights but nothing like the start of the Memorial Day weekend.
Delta had the most cancelations Sunday, blaming bad weather and what the airline called “air traffic control actions.” The Atlanta-based carrier canceled 159 flights and delayed just over 200 yesterday. The cancelations and delays come as Delta plans to cut 100 flights a day between July 1st and August 7th to better handle disruptions like bad weather and staffing shortages.
In other parts of the nations, people have beach plans. Scott Pringle gives us a peek:
Whatever your personal plans are to commemorate this Memorial Day, may we all take a moment to remember the deep sacrifice of those who truly gave all.
