On May 5, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, the head of an organization of Union veterans, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), declared
Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Many consider this the first “Memorial Day”.

Dayton, Ohio is home to an awesome museum and memorial park

Honoring American volunteers “Flying Tigers” during WWII

Today many cities and towns across the country observe the last Monday in May as Memorial Day, an official U.S. Federal Holiday formally established in 1971. This holiday is the time to stop and  think about what the day is for, and why it is the time to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the country.