... honours men and women who have died in the line of duty while serving in the US armed forces. It has its origins in Decoration Day, which was proclaimed in 1868 by John A. Logan, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, to honor the Union soldiers who had died in the American Civil War. It was observed on 30 May of that year, and by 1890 it had been officially recognised as a holiday in every US state. (The first state to recognise it was New York, in 1873.)
After the two World Wars, Decoration Day became a day for honouring all US service men and women who had died in service. In 1971, Congress standardised it as Memorial Day and changed its observance to the last Monday in May.
© Haydn Thompson 2024