Part 2 — Answer key

Compare your answers after you have finished Part 1.

1. Memorial Day is set aside to honor which group?
   U.S. service members who died while in military service
2. Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday.
   True
3. In the U.S. today, Memorial Day is observed on which day?
   The last Monday in May
4. The National Moment of Remembrance is observed at 3:00 p.m. local time.
   True
5. Before it was widely called Memorial Day, the holiday was commonly known by what name?
   Decoration Day
6. Memorial Day honors all U.S. military veterans, living or dead.
   False
7. Which law shifted Memorial Day to a Monday schedule, helping create more three-day weekends?
   Uniform Monday Holiday Act
8. The best-known national Memorial Day observance site is which cemetery?
   Arlington National Cemetery
9. On Memorial Day, the U.S. flag should remain at half-staff from sunrise until sunset.
   False
10. If you want to participate in the congressionally encouraged pause of remembrance, when do you do it?
    At 3:00 p.m. local time
11. Which U.S. holiday is specifically meant to honor all who served in the Armed Forces, including living veterans?
    Veterans Day
12. Memorial Day was once commonly observed on a fixed date, May 30.
    True
13. Who is most closely tied to the call for a national Decoration Day observance in the late 1860s?
    John A. Logan
14. You are writing a one-line Memorial Day message for a community program. Which line is most accurate?
    Remembering U.S. service members who died in military service
15. At 10:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, you notice your building’s flag is already at half-staff. What choice best matches standard Memorial Day protocol?
    Leave it at half-staff until noon
16. The National Moment of Remembrance is observed at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time nationwide.
    False
17. It is 12:30 p.m. on Memorial Day and a flag outside a library is still at half-staff. According to standard protocol, what should be true now?
    It should be raised to full staff after noon
18. A televised Memorial Day ceremony shows a formal wreath-laying at Arlington. Where is that wreath commonly placed?
    The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
19. Memorial Day’s early U.S. traditions grew out of post-Civil War grave decoration and remembrance.
    True
20. Because Memorial Day is on the last Monday in May, it can fall on which range of dates?
    May 25 to May 31
21. A museum placard mentions a Union veterans organization that helped popularize Decoration Day observances. Which group is it most likely referring to?
    The Grand Army of the Republic
22. Armed Forces Day is intended to honor U.S. service members who died while serving.
    False
23. A local organization wants a holiday event that thanks everyone who ever wore the uniform, including living veterans. Which holiday matches that goal most precisely?
    Veterans Day
24. You see volunteers offering small red paper poppies for a donation around Memorial Day. What idea is that symbol most associated with?
    Remembering war dead
25. Which activity best fits the traditional purpose of Memorial Day?
    Visiting a cemetery to honor fallen service members
26. Who established the National Moment of Remembrance through federal law?
    The U.S. Congress
27. At Arlington’s National Memorial Day Observance, who typically lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
    The President or a designated representative
28. Which one-sentence definition is the cleanest fit for most trivia questions about Memorial Day?
    A U.S. federal holiday honoring members of the U.S. Armed Forces who died while in military service
29. Why was May 30 historically chosen for early Decoration Day observances?
    It was a date when flowers were likely available in many places
30. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved several U.S. holidays to Mondays to create more three-day weekends, including Memorial Day.
    True
31. Your town plans a citywide pause that aligns with the National Moment of Remembrance. If you announce one time that works for everyone in town, what should it be?
    3:00 p.m. local time
32. Which description best captures how Memorial Day was observed before the modern Monday schedule took effect?
    Commonly tied to May 30 regardless of the weekday
33. Because Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May, it can never fall on May 30.
    False
34. Memorial Day is unusual because the flag goes back to full staff at noon. What is the commonly taught symbolism of that noon change?
    A shift from national mourning to renewed resolve for the living
35. For half-staff display, flag etiquette includes first raising the flag briskly to the top of the pole before lowering it to half-staff.
    True
36. A history display says, “Logan’s order mattered because of the role he held in a Union veterans group.” Which role is being described?
    Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic