Memorial Day is considered by most Americans to be the unofficial start of the summer season; it’s a three-day weekend to fire up the backyard grill for the first time, or perhaps hit the shore and catch a few rays before the beaches are broiling hot. But that’s not the day’s true intent, obviously. It began in 1868 as a day to honor Union soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Civil War, though it would take another century before Congress officially certified Memorial Day as the final Monday in May to commemorate every member of the military who died in service to their country. So, what does Memorial Day mean to the average New Yorker? Natalie Migliore went to the Moynihan Train Station in midtown Manhattan for her Beat on the Street on 710 WOR’s Mendte in the Morning program and asked people what Memorial Day signifies to them.
Migliore found several people who decided to overlook rising gas and get around town for the weekend, like this woman: “I’m doing a spa day with my girlfriends; that’s going to be fun. That’s tomorrow, and Monday is my birthday, so I’m just going to relax and enjoy some time with my daughter and my husband.”
Migliore found a few people who sort of understood that Memorial Day is more than just a Monday off from work, though they couldn’t exactly say why, like this woman: “I don’t really know what it actually means, to be honest, but I’m thinking it has something to do with the veterans. I could be wrong, I’m not quite sure.”
But Migliore did find a Vietnam vet named Millery, who perhaps perfectly summed up what the day ought to mean: “The people you serve with, some people, you keep in touch, and then they pass on in life and it hurt, like a family member. But it goes much deeper because he had your back (and) you had his back. He’s protecting you, you’re protecting him, but when you get back to America, it’s a twisted situation. So, how I spend [the day], I reflect on the guys. We did good, we had out issues in between, but the love and rivalry, it’s still there.”
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