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Memorial Day to Honor War Dead and COVID Victims

VOA News

   Monday is Memorial Day in the United States -- a day set aside to honor
   the hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemen and women who sacrificed
   their livesfor their country.

   The holiday is also the unofficial start of the summer vacation season
   in the U.S.,and likeso muchin 2020, the usualwill be unusual.

   Theflags that are flying athalf-staffacross the countryto honor those
   service memberswill,underPresidentDonald Trump'sorders,alsobe flying
   for the nearly 100,000Americans whohave lost their lives to the
   coronavirus,the world's highest death toll from thediseaseby far.

   They includemore than 1,000 veterans who theDepartmentof Veterans
   Affairs says have died from COVID-19.

   Trump plans toplace a wreath at ArlingtonNational Cemetery and
   thenspend part ofthe rest ofhis Memorial Day at Fort McHenry in
   Baltimore, where a historic battle in the War of 1812 was fought.

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