Memorial Day, also known as Decoration Day, is an official U.S. holiday, celebrated on the last Monday in the month of May, to honor the men and women that have died in military service. “It originated during the American Civil War (1861–64) when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle.” Encyclopædia Britannica
In 1868, Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic issued General Order Number 11 designating May 30 as a memorial day "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." American Memory
Thanks, JJ, for your service to our country.
