People
Photos
Purpose
Advertisement
Advertisement
  2. About
  3. Blog posts
  4. Honoring Those Who Paid The Ultimate Cost On Memorial Day

Honoring Those Who Paid The Ultimate Cost On Memorial Day

Updated on May 29, 2023. Originally added on May 28, 2018 by Kathy Pinna

In memory of those who paid the ultimate price to preserve and protect the United States of America: Memorial Day began as "Decoration Day," and was established in 1868 to memorialize those that had lost their lives in the United States Civil War.

The name was changed to Memorial Day and now we honor all of those killed in military action. While many celebrate Memorial Day with barbecues and picnics, let's remember to keep at front of mind those who have kept us safe and free.

These images from the Civil War through the Vietnam War show just a few of those killed in action. Take a moment to honor your military heroes by sharing their stories to show the world that they are still remembered.

Continue Reading Below
Share and discover the people and places from your past
Search People Search Photos Purpose of AncientFaces Blog posts

The Military Fallen: A Tribute in Pictures

Loading...one moment please

The Pitchford family - father & six sons

Dr. Thomas Jefferson Pitchford & sons, NC
[ Click image for details ]
Lsfayette Eaton 12 favorites
shared on 01/01/2001

2 of these sons were killed in the Civil War - one was sent home because he was too young to enlist.

1861 - The Civil War

71st Infantry Regiment - New York 1861
[ Click image for details ]
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
shared on 01/11/2012

71st Infantry Regiment of New York.

1865 dedication of the Battle of Bull Run Monument

Bull Run, Va.
[ Click image for details ]
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
shared on 01/11/2012
Advertisement

Killed at Vicksburg

WILLIAM HOWELL HANKS
[ Click image for details ]
Jeron Hanks 21 favorites
shared on 07/20/2003

William Howell Hanks

John Sheeks

John Washington Sheeks (1843-1864)
[ Click image for details ]
BettyJane Carl 3 followers 978 favorites
shared on 07/10/2003

Killed in action on April 8, 1864.

Company H, the Spanish-American War

group at Camp Boynton
[ Click image for details ]
Unknown User 46 favorites
shared on 08/05/2002

1898

Lorenzo Francis Strosnider

Lorenzo Francis Strosnider
[ Click image for details ]
Raymond Phillips 40 favorites
shared on 08/02/2004

He served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American war and died there.

Advertisement

Forse W. Knaub

Forse W. Knaub
[ Click image for details ]
Frederick Riegel 5 favorites
shared on 09/25/2010

1898, the Spanish-American War

Co. H. 331st Infantry, WW 1

Ray Cortland/Cyrus Young, WWI
[ Click image for details ]
Barrett Young 5 followers 281 favorites
shared on 07/28/2015

1918

Jack Conlen

Jack Conlen
[ Click image for details ]
Bernie Conlen 3 favorites
shared on 01/01/2001

Killed in action, WW 1.

Chester Clay William

Sargent Chester Clay William, World War I Portrait
[ Click image for details ]
Carol Sutton 33 favorites
shared on 03/11/2009

Killed in action, WW1.

Harry Christensen

Harry Christensen
[ Click image for details ]
Harry Christensen 9 favorites
shared on 03/05/2015

WW1, 1917 France

The South Wales Borderers

World War 1 front lines
[ Click image for details ]
Kevin Moss 7 favorites
shared on 10/19/2014

France, front line, WW 1

Advertisement

William Rosengren

William Rosengren
[ Click image for details ]
MaryAnn Andersen 31 favorites
shared on 12/05/2013

In World War 1, recovering from the loss of his left hand in battle

The USS Killen

Frank Kroetsch
[ Click image for details ]
Pam Marks 20 followers 2.51k+ favorites
shared on 06/26/2011

WW 2 in the Pacific Theater, circa 1945. 15 men were killed when the ship was hit.

World War 2

US Navy WWII-LCT 905
[ Click image for details ]
Carol Poulos 21 favorites
shared on 03/06/2016

The Oak Ridge Guards, WW 2

Frances McClain
[ Click image for details ]
Angela May 10 favorites
shared on 12/12/2015

Oak Ridge was a part of the Manhattan Project, a vital part of the war effort.

World War 2 Aircraft

World War II Aircraft
[ Click image for details ]
Pam Marks 20 followers 2.51k+ favorites
shared on 10/01/2011

France, WW 2

Noble Vaughn, France
[ Click image for details ]
John Vaughn 104 favorites
shared on 11/10/2015

The 99th Pursuit Squadron, 1941

99th Pursuit Squadron
[ Click image for details ]
Pam Marks 20 followers 2.51k+ favorites
shared on 10/13/2011

Terence Stelges

Terence Stelges obituary
[ Click image for details ]
Pat Head 4 favorites
shared on 05/25/2015

Killed in action, WW 2.

Emerson M Bair

Emerson M Bair
[ Click image for details ]
Dolores Maxwell 86 favorites
shared on 12/27/2014

Killed in action, France WW 2.

Kenneth James Mckeown

Kenneth James Mckeown
[ Click image for details ]
Robert Macdonald 7 favorites
shared on 06/05/2014

Killed in action shortly after he was married.

Cpl. Thomas W. House

Cpl. Thomas W. House
[ Click image for details ]
Kerri Chandler 7 favorites
shared on 09/05/2007

Killed in action, WW 2.

Loren Wayne Watson

Loren Wayne Watson
[ Click image for details ]
Doug Greene 84 favorites
shared on 04/17/2006

Killed in action, WW 2.

The Korean War, 1952

Charles H. Barrett in his plane
[ Click image for details ]
Mj Benning 4 followers 187 favorites
shared on 01/01/2001

Chuck Barrett, navigator.

Virgil Lee Howell

Virgil Lee Howell
[ Click image for details ]
John Vaughn 104 favorites
shared on 11/10/2015

Killed in action, the Korean War.

William Riley Jones

William Riley Jones
[ Click image for details ]
Joyce Turner Dawson 69 favorites
shared on 06/11/2004

Killed in action, the Korean War.

Elbert Arthur Condley

Elbert Arthur Condley AR
[ Click image for details ]
Debbie..... So Cal Condleys 359 favorites
shared on 01/13/2004

Killed in action, the Korean War.

Gordon Madison Hatcher

Gordon Madison Hatcher
[ Click image for details ]
Betty Lamb 14 favorites
shared on 11/18/2002

Killed in action, the Korean War.

Ho Chi Minh Trail, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Trail - Vietnam War
[ Click image for details ]
Daniel Pinna 204 followers 8.97k+ favorites
shared on 09/07/2011

Vietnam War

Vietnam, 1970

Donald Cameron Clifton - Vietnam 1970
[ Click image for details ]
Lc Clifton 1 follower 83 favorites
shared on 03/12/2014

William Hochendoner

William Hochendoner
[ Click image for details ]
Michelle Sereno 12 favorites
shared on 11/27/2014

Vietnam War

Brooke Shadburne

Brooke Shadburne
[ Click image for details ]
James Carey Yates 109 favorites
shared on 12/03/2015

Killed in action, the Vietnam War.

Casualties: About 620,000 died in the U.S. Civil War and over 1,264,000 Americans have died in all wars. World War 2 was the second most deadly war - over 405,000 died in service.

Have photos that you'd like to see included? Share your photos or see 14 astounding photos of veterans by clicking the next page.
Next page ☞

Blog posts

What AncientFaces Does
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
05/07/2023
What AncientFaces Does
AncientFaces is a 100% free and family-friendly community where we share memories and connect with others to remember and discover more about the people from our past. By sharing our memories, family stories, and information we uncover while digging for our roots, we unlock meaningful connections with others today, and the possibilities of new discoveries tomorrow. See first hand the power of sharing and what you can discover about a sibling, spouse, grandparent, friend, coworker, or ancestor...
Community Standards
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
06/26/2023
Community Standards
Welcome to AncientFaces! A 100% free community where we remember people from our past. At AncientFaces, we believe in the power of remembering together. Through Collaborative Biographies we connect with others who know the person, and discover more together. As you participate in the AncientFaces community, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our Community Standards. These guidelines are in place to ensure that AncientFaces remains a safe and respectful place for everyone, worthy of preserving the memories of the people we remember.
We All Deserve to be Remembered: AncientFaces - 20 years in 2020
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
04/27/2023
We All Deserve to be Remembered: AncientFaces - 20 years in 2020
How in the world is it that when our loved ones die we have only their social media accounts to remember them by? Why is it all that’s left online is a memorial page consisting of a tombstone and an obituary, and if you’re fortunate enough to have a writer in the family, MAYBE there is an obituary consisting of three paragraphs about who the person was? People are important in life and in death. How our loved ones and ancestors lived their lives, what they did with their time, and who they impacted - is important.
We all Deserve to be Remembered, and it is up to us, the people that knew them, to show & tell their stories before our memories get lost in history. AncientFaces is Where We Remember Over the last 20 years we've seen tens of millions of people show that they agree that Everyone Deserves to be Remembered (EDtbR). It is up to each and every one of us to share our memories & family stories of those people important to us. Through storytelling & sharing who these people really were, we unlock meaningful connections with people today, and the potential of new discoveries tomorrow. In 2020, to celebrate our 20 year milestone & to share this mission with the world we've released our first video. If you live in our neighborhood in Silicon Valley you might have noticed the spot on your favorite television channels ;) Thank you - each and every one of you - for your role in making AncientFaces a family-friendly community and the place to remember & celebrate the lives of people who matter to us.
Lost & Found Family Photos
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
05/03/2023
Lost & Found Family Photos
These Lost & Found photos may have been found in dumpsters, in the walls or attic when remodeling old homes, inherited from a distant family member, or sold at flea markets or antique stores. They may have been in treasured family albums, with or without names, but no one knows who they are and how they fit into the family. The one thing that all of these photos have in common is this: They all are orphan photos that have lost their families. The AncientFaces Community is full of people who invest their time to reunite these photos with family members. These photos below are just a few of the thousands of Lost & Found photos waiting to be re-united.
Success Stories - Making Connections
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
05/03/2023
Success Stories - Making Connections
"Thank you for helping me find my family & friends again so many years after I lost them. I get the chance to remember them all this time later." Highlights of just a few of the many successes of sharing memories within the AncientFaces Community. From reuniting Lost & Found or 'orphan' photos with their families, seeing faces of relatives for the first time, to the many connections made with family & friends, and the profound discoveries about our loved ones and ancestors. Special moments like these are why it's important we share.
D-Day World War II: June 6th 1944
AncientFaces 356k+ followers 399 favorites
05/03/2023
D-Day World War II: June 6th 1944
With Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 World War 2 began. The United States didn't enter the war until 1941 when Germany's ally Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The war was challenging not only on the military, but also for civilians. Incessant bombing of cities like The Blitz on London and other cities in Great Britain lasted around 8 months, every night, all night long. Rationing of foodstuffs and other goods needed for the war effort, victory gardens, nights spent in the Tube, blackouts, and sending your children to the countryside for safety. By 1944, the need to end the many years' long war became desperate. And so came D-day in 1944 - a plan to reclaim occupied ally France from the Nazis and to gain a platform from which to invade, and destroy, Nazism in Germany.

Show more

  2. About
  3. Blog posts
  4. Honoring Those Who Paid The Ultimate Cost On Memorial Day
Back to Top
Advertisement
Advertisement