Memorial Day 2024

This coming Monday, our country will observe Memorial Day, a day to mourn, honor and remember those who have died serving our nation as members of the Armed Forces of the United States. Originally known as Decoration Day, the first national observance began in 1868 to honor the Union soldiers who had died during the Civil War.

A tree at the northeast corner of the Herak Quad – planted decades ago to honor Gonzaga alumnus LCDR Paul Charvet, who was declared MIA in 1967, but whose remains were identified in 2021 – commemorates just one of a number of GU alumni and students who have died during military service over the course of history.

Memorial Day serves as an annual opportunity for our nation to remember those who died in the service of our country, and to remember all those who mourn them as well. In these recent years, we remember those who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as those lost in Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the massive loss of life of earlier global conflicts. May we never forget those who have served our nation and whose lives have been lost. And may we never stop searching for peaceful alternatives to war and its terrible price.