Bill,
My first thoughts were similar to yours, then the list of locations came out! I started off by just looking at my home state and then looking at neighboring states I could hit and return home the same day. As I went over the locations I started looking at the pictures of the memorials and reading some of the history behind them. This caused me on two occasions to plan trips just to see certain memorials I may have otherwise not visited.
From 2015 list, Middleburg, VA a memorial to the horses and mules that died in the Civil War. How many of these animals do you think died between 1861-1865 during the war? Died in battle, from disease, starvation, etc. The number astounded me. I didn't even consider how many were alive at that point in American history. Check out last years list of memorials and look it up or if this goes too long I'll post the answer.
I encourage anyone who is looking for an excuse to put more miles on or just to learn a little bit more history, sign up! I can easily see this becoming an event I'll do for years to come.