Irish America

Irish America

Memorial Day

“No Man Left Behind”

By Megan Smolenyak
IA Newsletter, June 1, 2024

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"No Man Left Behind" is so much more than a slogan to me. In a sense, I contemplate Memorial Day year-round due to my work with the Army. For the past 25 years, I’ve been assisting the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) with the identification of our soldiers who gave their lives in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam but have not yet been accounted for. My role as a … [Read more...] about “No Man Left Behind”

News Roundup May 28, 2022

By Róisín Chapman
IA Newsletter May 28, 2022

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Memorial Day: The Sullivan Brothers As the United States mourns the many fallen military personnel who have served the nation, Irish America remembers the Sullivan brothers who died during World War II. All five brothers had been serving aboard the USS Juneau when it was torpedoed by the Japanese on November 13, 1942. The brothers perished in the attack during the naval battle … [Read more...] about News Roundup May 28, 2022

The General Who Launched Memorial Day

By Ray Cavanaugh

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Tracing the origins of Memorial Day can become rather convoluted. After all, about two-dozen U.S. communities claim to have held the first such commemoration. On a less contested level, Gen. John A. Logan was the man who established an official day to honor military persons who made the ultimate sacrifice. Born on Feb. 9, 1826, in Jackson County, Illinois, he was one of ten … [Read more...] about The General Who Launched Memorial Day

Rolling Thunder’s Last Ride

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
Photos by Kit DeFever
May 24, 2019

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“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln (quote on the home page of Rolling Thunder's website) The Rolling Thunder “Ride for Freedom” will ride through D.C. one last time on Sunday, May 26. After 31 straight years Artie Muller, founder and executive director of the … [Read more...] about Rolling Thunder’s Last Ride

Hospitality and History in the American South

By Enda Cullen, Contributor

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History abounds on a tour that began in Washington, D.C. and visited Civil War battlefields, colonial towns, and the Blue Ridge Mountains.  As you might expect, Memorial Day weekend is a popular time to visit the nation’s capitol. There are celebrations, a free concert by the National Symphony Orchestra on the West Lawn, and a spectacular fireworks display. However, the annual … [Read more...] about Hospitality and History in the American South