Memorial Day, Formerly Decoration Day

Memorial Day, as we know it, actually began as Decoration Day, a day to honor those who die in war. This is something that began over 24 centuries ago, according to research we conducted.

The Athenian leader, Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago. It could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

To ensure the sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance.

The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them with much freedom and opportunity” be encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United State of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

We also found that Decoration Day had its beginning three years after the Civil War end, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans – the Grand Army of the Republic – established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.

Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. There seems to be a “squabble” over the birthplace of Memorial Day with locations being mentioned as Macon and Columbus, Georgia, Richmond, Virginia, Village of Boalsburg, Pa., Carbondale, IL, which was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. As a result about 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day.

In 1966 Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. It was here on May 5, 1866 that a ceremony was held honoring local veterans who had fought in the Civil War.