wars, major and minor, at about 70, and judging from a bit of web searching that sounds about right. Clancy Sigal recently put the total of U.S. population at the time, or by contemporary analogy, 6 million.)īy comparison, World War II would kill only 400,000 Americans, and we wouldn't meet the Civil War total, by accumulation, until Vietnam. Reportedly, 10,000 people gathered for that first commemoration of what would eventually be more than 600,000 (on both sides) who died in the war that got the country thoroughly accustomed to the idea of mass military slaughter. For the record, it's worth noting that the holiday was at least partially created in May of 1865, in Charleston, S.C., by freed slaves honoring the Union dead, including more than 250 prisoners-of-war who died there while imprisoned by Confederate troops. It seems disrespectful to let Memorial Day pass without a mention, even as the traditional date has been shoved sideways (in 1971) to enable our general entitlement to another three-day weekend. "If you think it's too expensive to take care of our veterans, then don't send them to war." – Sen.
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