Memorial Day: New Survey Reveals Less Than Half of U.S. Adults Understand True Meaning of the Holiday
21 Mayo 2024 - 9:26AM
Business Wire
USAA’s Poppy Wall of Honor on Washington,
D.C.’s National Mall educates Americans about Memorial Day,
providing an opportunity to learn about, honor and remember fallen
military
As the nation prepares to observe Memorial Day this year, a new
survey sponsored by USAA reveals the lack of understanding about
the true meaning of Memorial Day, with many observing the holiday
in ways that don’t align with the day’s true purpose. USAA seeks to
help the nation increase its understanding of the holiday while
also providing an opportunity to honor and remember America's
military men and women who lost their lives in service to their
country with its Poppy Wall of Honor.
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Visitors observe the USAA Poppy Wall of
Honor. (Photo: Business Wire)
According to the USAA survey, conducted by Endeavor Analytics
and YouGov, only 46% of U.S. adults properly responded that the
primary reason for observing Memorial Day is to honor military
service members who lost their lives in military conflict. Further,
nearly half of respondents (45%) believe an appropriate way to
observe Memorial Day is to wish a veteran a “Happy Memorial Day”
and/or thank them for their service. While the intentions are
well-meaning, the survey results indicate that we all can benefit
from additional education on this sacred holiday.
To help educate, the USAA Poppy Wall of Honor – a temporary
installation honoring the more than 600,000 American service
members who gave their lives in service to our nation since World
War I – will return to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for
Memorial Day weekend. Since its first appearance publicly on the
National Mall in 2018, more than 50,000 visitors have visited the
USAA Poppy Wall of Honor, paying their respects to fallen service
members and learning more about the holiday.
“As Americans enjoy their freedoms this holiday weekend
surrounded by friends and family, it is important to remember the
service members who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend those
freedoms, which is the true meaning of Memorial Day,” said Army
Maj. Gen. (Ret) John Richardson, Senior Vice President, Head of
Military Affairs at USAA. “The USAA Poppy Wall of Honor is a
unifying symbol for all Americans, reminding us of the humbling
reality that our freedom isn’t free. Through the Wall, we seek to
educate and inspire all Americans to take time this Memorial Day
weekend to pause, honor and remember each of our fallen service
members, and stand by their families who carry the weight of their
absence every day.”
The Poppy Wall of Honor will be on display May 24 through May 26
on the National Mall at the base of the Lincoln Memorial between
the Reflecting Pool and Korean War Memorial. Visitors can expect to
see:
- The Poppy Wall of Honor is 133 feet long and stands 8-1/2 feet
tall and contains a two-sided interactive, digital exhibit
experience. Visitors will learn more about the true meaning of
Memorial Day, the poppy flower and conflicts since WWI.
- More than 600,000 poppy flowers provided by Veterans of Foreign
Wars' Buddy Poppies® and The American Legion's Memorial Poppies
fill one side of the wall, representing the lives lost since
WWI.
- This year’s Poppy Wall of Honor experience includes new
features such as:
- A 22’ wide x 11’ tall LED wall enhancement that will immerse
visitors in poppy fields and an excerpt from the poem “We Shall
Keep The Faith” by Moina Michael. The poem establishes the poppy as
a symbol of remembrance before visitors walk along the panels
containing more than 600,000 of the red poppy flowers – each
representing a life lived and lost in service to our country.
- A special panel commemorating the 80th anniversary of the U.S.
military lives lost during D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy
during WWII.
- Visitors may view the Poppy Wall of Honor during the following
days and times:
- Friday, May 24: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST
- Saturday, May 25: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST
- Sunday, May 26: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST
To help expand the reach and to educate new and younger
audiences, USAA has partnered with influencer @EllieGoldenLife, who
will assist in educating Americans about Memorial Day and honoring
fallen service members. For those unable to view the exhibits in
person, you can contribute to the Memorial Day conversation by
honoring a loved one or sharing a remembrance using #PoppyInMemory
in your social channels. More details can be found at
usaa.com/memorialday.
Survey Methodology
Source: Endeavor Analytics x YouGov Custom Dataset. Online
survey among 2,079 U.S. adults ages 18+. Fielded 3/27/2024 –
4/5/2024. The figures have been weighted and are representative of
all U.S. adults (aged 18+).
About USAA
Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among
the leading providers of insurance, banking and retirement
solutions and serves more than 13.5 million members of the U.S.
military, veterans who have honorably served and their families.
Headquartered in San Antonio, USAA has offices in eight U.S. cities
and three overseas locations and employs more than 37,000 people
worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local
nonprofits in support of military families and communities where
employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us
on Facebook or X (@usaa), or visit usaa.com.
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Colleen McAdams USAA Corporate Communications
Colleen.McAdams@usaa.com 214.492.3752 Mitch Marier 160over90 (for
USAA) mmarier@160over90.com 704.493.9975