Vital Signs May June

7. Decoration Day only recognized fallen soldiers of the Civil War until World War I. While America's participation in WWI sometimes takes a backseat to the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam War, it helped establish many other American traditions, including Veterans Day (originally called Armistice Day) and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. WWI also changed how Decoration Day, later known as Memorial Day, is celebrated here. That war was America's first major conflict since the Civil War and the first major war fought exclusively on foreign soil. In all, more than 116,000 Americans died fighting in WWI, according to PBS. The tradition of Decoration Day evolved from remembering just the fallen of the Civil War to remembering all soldiers who died during the country's wars at home and abroad, according to History.com. 8. President Bill Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act in 2000, which asks Americans to pause and observe a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time. A number of organizations throughout the country observe this moment, including Amtrak (whose trains blast their whistles), Major League Baseball, and NASCAR. 9. Cities across the country host Memorial Day parades, but some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York, and, of course, Washington, D.C. In D.C., the National Memorial Day Parade hosts an audience of hundreds of thousands who watch as marching bands, active duty and retired military units, youth groups, veterans, and floats head down Constitution Avenue. 10. The President requests that all governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico direct the flag to be flown at half - staff until noon on Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels. U.S. citizens are asked to display the flag at half - staff from their homes before noon, as well. 11. Memorial Day is one of the few days flags are ordered to fly at half - staff then full - staff. While Memorial Day has generated community traditions, it has also generated traditions for how the government observes the day, too. As mentioned above, the flag should be flown at half - staff from sunrise until until noon, according to Gettysburg Flag, to honor men and women who have fallen in the line of duty. At noon, the flag should be briskly raised to full staff to salute all of those who have served.

12. One sacred tradition of

Memorial Day is that the President places a wreath

at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.

For decades, presidents visited the revered site to pay tribute to all who died fighting for their country. In addition to laying a wreath at the tomb, the President delivers an address for the nearby amphitheater.