For those that aren't part of the US / America background ...
I always thought memorial day was a US thing, not so much a broader America thing. Who actually celebrates and remembers it? Not South America, not Canada?
That's interesting. I always thought it was something like our ANZAC remembrance ... fighting at Gallipoli, etc in WWI. But it seems it dates back to when north and south Americans were fighting each other in the civil war against slavery.
That passage ...
“Every man’s life belongs to his country, and no man has a right to refuse when his country calls for it.”
... is that the general US sentiment today? ... or was that more the mindset when the north and south were in conflict?
Yes, in Canada we combine Veterans' Day (those who have served and are currently serving) and Memorial Day (those who have died) in one day. In the UK, they are two separate days now too.