Remembering the War
Immediately following the armistice, Americans worked hard to assure that future generations would remember the catastrophic war and honor those who served and sacrificed. Medals and military decorations signified the extraordinary contributions individual veterans had made. Local monuments, erected around the country, and publications memorializing soldiers and their war service embodied community sentiments and memories of the war. American military cemeteries in Europe provided a somber reminder of the human cost of the Great War. To honor U.S. soldiers missing in action with no known grave, the government erected the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. What and how to remember were not always easy questions to answer, and Americans offered an array of ways to memorialize the war. However, each of them testified to the profound impact and lasting significance of the Great War.