Good morning. You're reading a special Memorial Day edition of the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get the newsletter delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Remembering the names of the fallen
Today, as on every last Monday in May, Americans honor and mourn fallen military service members for Memorial Day. This year, the Up First newsletter team asked listeners and readers to tell us stories of the loved ones they've lost. The responses were full of sacrifice, gratitude and explanations of what the day truly means to them.
One word stood out to me as I read through them: valor.
Hans George Faltin, Hope Sutton's grandfather, served in World War II, leading a troop that defused booby traps in reclaimed towns. Hope says her deep belief in service and doing what's right is why she submitted not only her grandfather's story, but also her father's.
Carl served at the start of the Vietnam War. Later, Hope learned through medical testing that the leukemia her father died from at 38 may have been caused by Agent Orange exposure. Hope says that as a daughter of a war veteran, she feels a connection to all the other families represented at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the nation's capital, despite Carl's name not being on the wall.
A name doesn't have to be on a wall to be felt or remembered. This Memorial Day, we invite you to read more stories of those being honored, like Hope's loved ones, here.
Memorial Day stories you may have missed
AAA projects 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday weekend, breaking the domestic travel record set in 2005. If you are planning to travel today, here are some tips before you fly or hit the road.
The American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Mass., is working to keep the memories and lessons from World War II alive. One of its efforts includes offering visitors a ride in a M36 Jackson tank destroyer, a 32-ton machine. (via GBH)
An oral history project for Vietnam War veterans had to be scaled back in Kansas City when President Trump made cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier this year. But this month, historian Gene Chávez greeted the veterans and their families for a revamped handover event at American Legion Post 213. (via KCUR)
Pennypack Sunflower Farm in Philadelphia might look like a flat patch of land and dirt, but it is more than that. It is part of a new urban agriculture project by Heroic Gardens, a nonprofit that uses gardening and horticultural therapy to support military veterans and their mental health challenges. (via WHYY)
If you love gardening, especially on a holiday, here are some gardening life hacks that will help you work smarter and not harder. (via Iowa Public Radio)
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
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