Memorial Day is held in honor of the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
It was originally called Decoration Day, and honored the 620,000 who died in the Civil War. Many states held their own ceremonies following the war, and on May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, formalized the celebrations by calling for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. He picked May 30 because it was not the anniversary of any of the war’s major battles.
“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he said.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
After World War I, the day expanded to honor those who died serving the country in any war. In 1971, it became a federal holiday and is now celebrated the last Monday of May.
PHOTO: Flags fly over the graves in Pine Grove Cemetery in Belgrade on Memorial Day weekend. The holiday is to commemorate the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
