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"CIVILIAN REFLECTIONS"
Our monthly column written by students
and staff at the John H. Sununu
Youth Services Center
May 2008
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend that marks the
beginning of summer. To many people, especially the nation's
thousands of combat veterans, this day, which has a history
stretching back all the way to the Civil War, is an important reminder
of those who died in the service of their country.
Uncover the interesting history of the holiday we now call Memorial
Day. Discover little-known facts about America's Wars and stop by the
Veterans Forum message boards to share your views with veterans,
their loved ones and fellow history buffs.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time
set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It
was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of
Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand
Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5,
1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:
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. In this observance no form of
ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange
such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a
speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped
to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate
soldiers buried in the cemetery.
This 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances of the day in several
towns throughout America that had taken place in the three years since the
Civil War. In fact, several Northern and Southern cities claim to be the
birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Miss.; Macon, Ga.; Richmond,
Va.; Boalsburg, Pa.; and Carbondale, Ill.
In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon
Johnson, declared Waterloo, N.Y., the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They
chose Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—because
the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event during
which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with
flowers and flags.
By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to
celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to
honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared
Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May.
(Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is
celebrated each year on November 11.)
Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a
ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is
customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the
contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.
Several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for honoring the
Confederate dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day.
The information contained on this page was taken from the History.com Exhibit on Memorial Day
http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=mini_home&mini_id=1079
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