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The Independent UK

National

Ben Finley

What is Memorial Day and why did it quickly become a source of contention?

Memorial Day Civil War Matthew Dennis David Blight Frederick Douglass Iraq War The Associated Press

It’s meant to be a day of reflection and remembrance of those who died while serving in the U.S. military - (Getty Images)

Memorial Day, a US national holiday for mourning fallen service members, has increasingly become the known as the unofficial start of summer, marked by long weekends, travel, and discounts on everything from mattresses to lawnmowers.

Iraq War veteran Edmundo Eugenio Martinez Jr. believes the day has lost so much meaning that many Americans "conflate and mix up Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, July Fourth."

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