It hardly feels like the beginning of summer in Iowa, with unseasonably cool weather all weekend and heavy rains causing flash flooding in many parts of the state. But no matter the weather, Memorial Day is always meaningful for many Americans. Setting aside a day for remembering the American war dead began shortly after the Civil War. I was surprised to learn that Memorial Day became an official federal holiday only recently, in 1971. The Iowa National Guard’s website includes brief histories of Iowa soldiers’ involvement in U.S. wars since the mid-19th century and a stunning photo of thousands of men standing in the shape of the Statue of Liberty.

In previous years, Bleeding Heartland has posted other links related to Memorial Day here and here.

This is an open thread: all topics welcome. Here’s a conversation starter: Josh Marshall’s case against naming U.S. military bases after Confederate generals, who were actually traitors to the country. I’m with Marshall and Jamie Malanowski, who called for renaming those bases in this op-ed column.

Longtime readers of the Des Moines Register may remember columnist Rob Borsellino. He died of complications related to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) on May 27, 2006.