> First, in the US, both Memorial Day and Veteran's Day (nee
> Armistice Day)(AKA Remembrance Day elsewhere on  Earth)
> have NO specific meaning in the US- i.e., the general association
> is with a 3-day weekend as opposed to any actual meaning (for
> many; I imagine for veterans and military service members the
> experience is rather different).  This is from the POV of a rather
> young man; I'm 26, and I can't say I remember being instructed
> upon the origin of either event at any point during my schooling.
> In fact, I had to look up the origin of Memorial Day: post Civil
> War remembrance of the fallen, as opposed to one particular
> event.

On December 7, a middle aged English teacher asked her class of American 
teenagers what was the significance of the date.  I can only imagine now 
what she must have felt when, after thirty seconds of silence, she finally 
got a response from a recent immigrant - "Pearl Harbor attack".

Cherish your history.

Vitaliy 

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