Miss Manners: Was my mother wrong about clapping at Memorial Day events?

Miss Manners: Was my mother wrong about clapping at Memorial Day events?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My dear mother told me that one should never clap for the speakers at Memorial Day observances, and that one should depart in silence to mark the solemnity of the occasion. At a Memorial Day event, I noticed that everyone clapped for the speakers and chatted casually at the end of the event.