On Memorial Day, we remember those who died in U.S. wars.
Memorial Day has its origins in the aftermath of the Civil War, which remains the bloodiest of U.S. wars in terms of American casualties. On May 30, 1868, the first official Decoration Day was declared by General John A. Logan and observed at Arlington National Cemetery. Volunteers decorated the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.
During World War II, Decoration Day was expanded and renamed Memorial Day to honor all Americans who died in military service. The day became a national holiday in 1971.
The number of military deaths in the “Indian Wars” is greatly underestimated here. The US Army reported more than 1,400 deaths of its soldiers in the Second Seminole War alone. And the total should also include Native Americans killed in battle.