About this episode

The episode discusses the significance of Memorial Day through personal stories from the Civil War and the sacrifices made by Americans.

🎙️ Political Trade Secrets: Last Full Measure of Devotion—Stories Behind Memorial Day Join host Dustin Olson and guest J. Mark Powell—author, syndicated columnist, and former television network journalist—for a thoughtful Memorial Day conversation honoring Americans across generations who gave what Abraham Lincoln called the “last full measure of devotion” for our country. Drawing from Powell’s new book, Witness to War: The Story of the Civil War Told By Those Who Lived It, the conversation explores real human stories from the front lines of the Civil War and the sacrifices that helped shape America’s traditions of remembrance. This episode reveals why honoring the fallen is not just about history, patriotism, or rows of white headstones in national cemeteries—it is about real people, real families, and the real sacrifices that shaped the nation. The episode explores: • How the massive loss of life during the Civil War helped shape the origins of Decoration Day and eventually Memorial Day • What real letters and firsthand accounts reveal about death, grief, sacrifice, and daily life during the Civil War • How Americans processed loss on a scale the nation had never experienced…

People in this episode

Host: Dustin Olson

Guest: J. Mark Powell

Topics covered

• Memorial Day
• Civil War
• sacrifice
• remembrance
• American history
• traditions

Keywords

• Memorial Day
• Civil War
• sacrifice
• remembrance
• Abraham Lincoln
• Decoration Day
• traditions

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Witness to War: The Story of the Civil War Told By Those Who Lived It

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