Why US Embassy was on Monday closed for 24 hours
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US Embassy closes its offices for 24 hours in solidarity with the American soldiers
US Embassy closes its offices for 24 hours in solidarity with the American soldiers.
On Monday, May 29, the US Embassy in Kenya announced that it had closed its doors for a whole day in support of the American people.
The Nairobi bureau of the embassy released a statement explaining that all embassies were closed worldwide as Americans were honoring heroes who had died in combat.
Every year on the last Monday in May, Americans take the day off of work to participate in parades and pay respects at military memorials while others offer prayers at the graves of loved ones.
“On Memorial Day 2023, the Embassy is closed in honour of the men and women who gave their lives while serving their country,” the statement from the Embassy read in part.
Many of the citizens visit the Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery is the final resting place for U.S. military personnel who pass away in every major American conflict since the Revolutionary War.
Additionally, two US presidents including the late President William Howard and the late President John F. Kennedy were buried at the graveyard.
The U.S. Department of State’s platform Share America detailed that the remains of over 400,000 military personnel and their eligible next of kin since the revolutionary war were interred at the cemetery.
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“More than 400,000 service members who died while on active duty, veterans, and their eligible next-of-kin are interred at the cemetery, which currently spans nearly 260 hectares and has plans for an additional 80,000 burial plots,” Share America stated.
According to an Arlington National Cemetery historian Tim Frank, at first, many families did not want their relatives to be buried at the cemetery but that changed when the late President Grant was buried at the site.
Grant led the Union Army to victory in the Civil War, and paid tribute at more than one Decoration Day ceremony.
“We really credit Decoration Day with making Arlington our premier national cemetery and thousands of people came to Arlington to decorate the graves with flowers. And then we started seeing more and more generals and admirals,” Frank told Share America.
Memorial Day was established by Congress in 1971, the last Monday of May, as a federal holiday to honour those who died while serving in the military.
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