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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Ben Finley

Five things to know about Memorial Day and its profound original purpose: ‘It isn’t just the barbecue’

Memorial Day Matthew Dennis The Associated Press David Blight Frederick Douglass
A Vietnam war veteran salutes as he places American flags at graves ahead of Memorial Day in the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Los Angeles, California on May 29, 2021 - (AFP via Getty Images)

While Memorial Day has largely become synonymous with the unofficial start of summer and a flurry of retail discounts, its profound original purpose of honoring fallen service members remains deeply personal for many.

For Americans like Manuel Castañeda Jr., the day carries a far heavier weight. He lost his father, a US Marine who served in Vietnam, in a 1966 accident in California during a training exercise.

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