Happy Memorial Day ... ALL gave Some & SOME gave All

Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer.  

The practice of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers was being done in the U.S. before and during the Civil War. Women from Savannah, Georgia were documented as decorating graves in 1862. By 1863, the cemetery dedication at Gettysburg, PA was a ceremony of commemoration at the graves of dead soldiers. However, Boalsburg, PA claims and promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day.        

Gen. John A. Logan was instrumental in bringing attention to the event nationwide. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed. By 1890, all northern states had made "Decoration Day" an annual observance.

 Flags flying at gravesites at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day, 2006 

A separate tradition of Memorial Day observance emerged earlier in the South and linked to the Lost Cause and served as the national day of memory. The Ladies Memorial Association played a major role in that development. Starting in 1866, the Southern states established Confederate Memorial Day. The early Confederate Memorial Day celebrations were simple, somber occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. By 1913, the theme of American nationalism shared equal time with the Lost Cause. In 1916, the birthday of Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, was observed as a state holiday in 10 southern states.

George Washington Custis Lee (1832–1913) on horseback, with staff reviewing Confederate
Reunion Parade in Richmond, Virginia, June 3, 1907, in front of monument to Jefferson Davis.

 The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882. However, the name did not become more common until after World War II. "Memorial Day" was declared the official name by Federal law in 1967 and in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the Federal level in 1971.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL!