Memorial Day: Remembering those who came before Published May 20, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Bonnie Grantham 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May every year. For some, the day marks the beginning of summer and barbeques with friends. For others, it's a day to remember their fallen brothers and sisters in arms. Before it was known as Memorial Day, the holiday was called Decoration Day. It was established after the American Civil War as a day to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. More than 600,000 soldiers died during the Civil War changing the cultural significance of burial and memorialization in America. The practice of decorating graves began during the war, and in 1865, the federal government began creating national military cemeteries for the Union war dead. It is unclear where Memorial Day originated as dozens of cities and towns claim to be its birthplace. In 1966, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags. May 5, 1868, Gen. John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed May 30 to be Decoration Day, as it was called at that time, because it wasn't the anniversary of any particular battle. Originally, Memorial Day was only meant to honor those who died while fighting in the Civil War, but changed to commemorate all American military personnel who died in all wars during World War I. The name "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882, but wasn't officially declared as such until 1967 by federal law. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday to create a three-day weekend. Flags raised on Memorial Day are to be quickly raised to the top of the staff and then slowly lowered to half-staff, and it is to remain there until noon to serve as a reminder of the many lives that have given their lives in service of their countries. At noon, the flag is raised to full staff once again to represent those who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain. It is important to remember why Memorial Day was created and to educate friends and family about the significance of the holiday to members of the armed forces. However, it is also important to remember to celebrate the freedoms given by the lives lost in times of war. http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2 http://www.nationalww2museum.org/media/press-releases/national-wwii-museum-poll.html