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On the heels of the Civil War (1861-1864), May 30 was a day designated for decorating the graves of fallen United States soldiers with flowers and flags – hence the term, Decoration Day.
It was in 1868 that General John A. Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued a “Memorial Day Order” in which he suggested a springtime tribute to the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
This annual ritual quickly grew into tradition and – a cool century later – Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, deeming the last Monday in May Memorial Day.
– Hannah Van Sickle, The Arizona 100