Should you want add a veteran to our Honor Roll, please contact Douglas Legacy Farm to share his or her story, letters, and photos. This page is dedicated to all veterans in honor of their service.
Winston Churchill waving to the crowd.
May 8, 1945 VE Day
VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day, is celebrated on May 8 to mark the official end of World War II in Europe. On this day in 1945, Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered to Allied forces, bringing nearly six years of brutal conflict on the continent to a close. Crowds gathered in cities across Europe and North America to celebrate the hard-won peace, though the war in the Pacific would continue until August. VE Day remains a day of remembrance for the sacrifices made and a celebration of the triumph of freedom over tyranny.
While VE Day brought relief and celebration, it was also a moment of reflection and mourning. Millions had lost their lives, cities lay in ruins, and survivors faced the long road to rebuilding their lives. For many, the end of the war marked the beginning of reckoning with its horrors—concentration camps were liberated, refugees were displaced, and families were forever changed. VE Day stands as a powerful reminder not only of victory, but of the cost of war and the enduring importance of peace.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who died while serving in the military. Its origins trace back to the aftermath of the Civil War, which claimed more American lives than any other conflict in U.S. history and led to the establishment of national cemeteries.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, when General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic called for a nationwide day to decorate the graves of fallen Union soldiers with flowers. That first national observance took place at Arlington National Cemetery, where 5,000 participants helped decorate more than 20,000 graves.
For decades, Memorial Day was observed on May 30, regardless of the day of the week. In 1971, Congress declared it a national holiday and moved it to the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend. Over time, Memorial Day came to honor all Americans who died in military service, not just those from the Civil War.
Traditions include laying wreaths at memorials, placing flags on graves, military flyovers, and holding ceremonies across the country. At 3 p.m. local time, Americans are asked to pause for a National Moment of Remembrance to reflect on the sacrifices made for the country.
80th Anniversary of D-Day - June 6, 1944
Remember Pearl Harbor ~ December 7, 1941
USS Arizona and other ship wreckage at Pearl Harbor
The USS Arizona Memorial, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on USS Arizona. Nearly 2300 sailors and marines lost their lives on December 7, 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbor.