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Poll Shows 80 Percent of Americans Unfamiliar With Memorial Day's Real Meaning

What is Memorial Day? A new poll commissioned by The National WWII Museum reveals the nation is in danger of forgetting. Eighty percent of all Americans confess to having "little" or "some" knowledge of the holiday. Just 20 percent claim to be "very familiar" with the day's purpose, which is to honor those who have died while fighting the nation's wars.

In response, The National WWII Museum has unveiled a new website www.mymemorialday.org featuring 10 ways to honor those who have fallen in the service of their country.

"The site offers ideas for all," said The National WWII Museum President and CEO Gordon H. "Nick" Mueller. "A family can visit a military site, or an individual can read a book about WWII history. It's a way to honor, remind and remember why this day is important."

Concerned that Americans were forgetting Memorial Day's meaning, The Museum asked New Orleans-based Market Dynamics Research Group, Inc., (MDRG) to conduct the national survey. The firm polled more than 1000 people and discovered an eye-opening lack of knowledge about the holiday:

  • 20 percent of those surveyed said they knew "a lot" about Memorial Day
  • 46 percent said they knew "something"
  • 31 percent said they knew "little"
  • 3 percent said they knew "nothing"...
Read entire article at Sacramento Bee