That's why I was asking. I'm glad the poor guys in the Japanese prison camps and fighting in SE Asia are also commemorated, but it does seem as if the European theatre gets the bigger share of the attention.

Here, while V-E Day was certainly celebrated, it was V-J Day when the nation could breathe easily and truly let go. As these folks did...

Do more modern conflicts have commemoration days?

I know we commemorate those who gave their lives in the Falklands War of 1982. In the US, do the post-WWII conflicts have a day of commemoration?

(I know I could Google that, but it’s just as easy to type the question here).

Memorial Day, at the end of May, is set aside to commemorate all who have been lost, both in wars and loved ones.  Veteran's Day, on November 1, commemorates the sacrifices of all veterans.

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, in 1919, commemorating the end of WWI, with that day chosen to reflect the cessation of fighting around Nov 11, 1918.  Originally, it was a single celebration, then became kind of an unofficial thing, then an official legal holiday.  In 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day, to honor the veterans of WW2 and Korea.

Memorial Day was originally Decoration Day, which has pretty murky and mostly mythical origins in celebrations and send offs of troops in the Civil War.  It became a national holiday in 1868 and the terms Decoration Day and Memorial Day became somewhat interchangeable, until after WW2.  It was officially changed to Memorial Day in 1967.

The US does not have specific celebrations for other conflicts.  Korean War veterans have often been referred to as the "Forgotten Veterans," as the relative stalemate that emerged was considered a blight on our war statistics, in many corners.  It is barely taught in schools and little discussed, with the tv series MASH having the most input about it; but, both the movie and the tv series just used it as a metaphor for Vietnam, rather than try to reflect the actual Korean War.  There have been war movies set in Korea; but, very few did big business.  It did spur on the war comics genre, in the 50s, though.

Vietnam was an outright loss and the country wanted to bury that idea deeply and never speak of it.  The 70s were filled with the supposed "shame" of leaving the country with our tails between our legs and letting the South fall to the Communists, with the evacuation of Saigon an embarrassment to our power.  Returning veterans had been poorly received, if even acknowledged.  Veterans associations, like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars treated them like red-headed stepchildren.  Veterans had high rates of encounters with law enforcement and unemployment, largely due to PTSD and related issues.  The image of Vietnam vets in the 70s was a powderkeg of trouble, waiting to be set off.  You see the stereotype reflected in tons of tv shows and movies through the mid-70s.

The 1980s and the Reagan victory and presidency was very much a reaction to the 70s, both Vietnam and the post-war turmoil (Watergate, recession, protests, etc).  The administration spent a lot of time managing the image of the US military to build it back up, stage managing things like the Invasion of Grenada; and, later, Panama and the Gulf War.  There were big celebrations after the Gulf War; but, nothing permanent.  However, many of those celebrations also had an element of apology to the Vietnam Veterans, for their treatment.  The current constant state of war has led to more appreciation for veterans, though no reversal in the underfunding of the Veterans Administration or the overuse of military solutions to diplomatic problems.  Thank you for your service, but I'm not willing to pay more in taxes to provide proper mental health treatment for PTSD for combat veterans.  Nothing new, though, as the country has a long history of forgetting about its concrete debts to veterans, after the parade is over.  Promised bonuses unpaid, lack of health care or funding of VA medical centers, mental health, etc, etc.

I'd agree with Confessor that WW2 was the last "just" war, though more effort early on (in the 1930) could have prevented the slaughter that occurred, or at least mitigated some of it.
 

I cant say too much as I’d break my “never discuss politics” rule, but I agree there are divisive opinions about modern conflicts. It will be interesting in the years ahead to see what (if any) commemorations there are.

QI went with wolf...

You’re not alone, Confessor. I watched ONE episode around the time it started. Didn’t take to it at all. I’d rather watch DEAL OR NO DEAL - and I think that’s crap, too.