Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time when graves were decorated to honor those who died during the American Civil War. During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield gave a stirring speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 people helped decorate the 20,000 Union and Confederate graves. Each year more and more communities held ceremonies to honor the soldiers who had died in the Civil War. Following World War I, we also began to honor those who had died in all of America’s wars. This holiday was first widely observed on May 30, 1868. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday that would be celebrated the last Monday in May. Visit the following sites to learn more about this American holiday:
I created the following video as a tribute to the men and women who battled and lost their lives as they fought for their country and beliefs…
The image used for this photo was posted to Flickr by user: jacquiscloset…visit his photostream to learn more about this particular photo.
Click on this mini poster if you would like to view a larger version for printing.
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