Memorial Day 2021

Please take a moment to pause, and lest we forget, Memorial Day is all about the members of the armed forces who gave the ultimate sacrifice for all of us to be free. It is not about enjoying the long weekend going to the beach or having a BBQ in your backyard.

It is about those Americans in military uniforms who served and never came back.

• 655,000 Americans killed in the Civil War. (est. Union & Confederate)
• 116,516 Americans killed in WWI.

• 405,399 Americans killed in WWII.

Source: Wikipedia – U.S. Military Casualties of War

• 92,134 Americans killed in the Korean War.

• 153,303 Americans killed in the Vietnam War.
• 9,971 Americans killed in the Afghanistan War.
• 31,965 Americans killed in the Iraq war.

Source: Lonestar – I’m Already There (Soldiers Tribute) YouTube

• And all the Americans killed in other wars.

Here is one way you can participate in this year’s celebration of Memorial Day. CBS News “On the Road” correspondent Steve Hartman and retired Air Force bugler, Jari Villanueva, are again inviting musicians of all abilities and ages to sound Taps on their front lawns, porches, and driveways at 3 p.m. local time on Monday, May 31, for Taps Across America.

Taps is the somber 24-note bugle call played at American military funerals and ceremonies. Hartman and Villanueva hope that the nationwide event, now in its second year, will offer an opportunity to pause for a moment to pay tribute to fallen service members. Traditionally, when people hear Taps, they respond by standing, facing the music and placing their hands over their hearts.

Last year’s Taps Across America project drew tens of thousands of participants across the world. Anyone who can sound Taps can participate.

Here is the sheet music:

Dust off your trumpet or bugle to sound the call this Memorial Day. Join the thousands who will play Taps tomorrow.

Here’s what CBS want you to know.

CBS plans to show some of the videos on the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell. Take a video of your performance. You can use any phone with a video camera and hold the phone horizontally. If neighbors or friends come to listen, get a shot of them too! Then send the video from your computer or phone via this link. Make sure to click “show metadata” after uploading your video to share information about your performance with us. If the player is under 18, CBS ask that you instead upload your video to social media with the hashtag #CBSTaps. CBS will be browsing public posts with that hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Let’s all thank the armed forces’ men and women for their service, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their families and our country.

If you know someone who served and died for our country, you may share their name and the war they served in the comment below to educate the public of what FREEDOM and MEMORIAL DAY are all about.

Thank you and bless you all!