Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the American military
They hover as a cloud of witnesses above this Nation. -Henry Ward Beecher
Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours. -Wallace Bruce
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. -Joseph Campbell
The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree. -Thomas Campbell
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.
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,
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.
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 the Vice President to attend.