ASSESSMENTS

Memorial Day, The Eternal Observance

undefined and Military Analyst/Director of Analyst Operations

Paul Floyd

Military Analyst/Director of Analyst Operations, Stratfor

Ben Sheen

Editorial Director

May 26, 2014 | 11:19 GMT

A U.S. soldier watches the sun go down near Turkham, Afghanistan.

(TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP/Getty Images)

Editor's note:

Reflecting the collaborative nature of Stratfor, our analyses as a rule do not carry bylines. This Memorial Day analysis — originally published in 2014 — is an exception. The lead authors are Military Analyst Paul Floyd and Senior Managing Editor Ben Sheen. Floyd is a former Army Ranger staff sergeant. Sheen is a former British Army officer. Both served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The act of formal remembrance is one of the most profound human gestures, whether it is conducted on the personal or the national level. Originally a commemoration of the Union and Confederate dead from the American Civil War, Memorial Day in the United States codifies the act of remembrance, paying tribute to those who died in military service. Memorial Day is specific to America, but honoring the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for their country, ideals or comrades-in-arms is universal....

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