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On this Memorial Day we give thanks to the brave men and women who have served in our military to protect the freedoms that we too often take for granted.
One way to honor those who have fallen is to support their fellow service members that have returned from battle or retired. In many cases, or US veterans are either unemployed or underemployed. All of us in the “green” and “cleantech” industry can more proactively look to engage in training and hiring our US veterans. With the recent Buy American and Hire American Executive Order (signed by President Trump on April 18) new procurement opportunities will arise. In market sectors like energy-efficient LED lighting the potential is massive with over $1 billion in annual energy savings and 20,000 new jobs, if the US government just changes the lights across the 3.4 billion square feet of its facilities.
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday is currently observed every year on the last Monday of May. It marks the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its unofficial end.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.
Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.
In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. Veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.
