A History Lesson-Tradition Since 1868

 This morning my blogging friend, Maria from Dongara WA Australia, asked what veteran the American Memorial day honored  .  As I thought about it- I remembered that my grandparents called it "Decoration Day".  I thought for years it was because it was when people decorated the graves.  It was several years later that I realized it was more.  So this morning,  I started looking for the real background.  This is what I  found. Is is from the

"It seems with each passing generation we lose a little more of our consciousness of this nation's history. True, if asked why we celebrate Memorial Day most could give a vague surface answer, "To honor the men and women who died while serving our nation." But understanding how this day came about helps to give a greater appreciation of the celebration.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day came about at the end of the Civil War, in 1868. According to General Order No. 11 given by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic on May 5, 1868:

"The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit."

The US Memorial Day site states it this way: "Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all."
There has been much debate over the years as to where the day actually had its beginnings. The "official" birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, NY—at least that's what was determined by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. It was chosen due to the fact that in 1866 the people had designated their celebration as an annual event in which even businesses closed, and young and old alike placed flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.
But historical evidence actually points to multiple points of origin, and there are several cities in both the North and the South who laid claim to that designation. In the three years following the Civil War groups of people in various communities would gather in cemeteries to decorate the graves with flowers in honor of their fallen loved ones.
The first official observation of Memorial Day was observed in Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868 in a ceremony that honored over 20,000 Confederate and Union soldiers. It is still celebrated at Arlington to this day.
It took several years, until 1890, for the holiday to be adopted by the Northern states, but it wasn't until after the First World War that the South began to recognize it, and only then after the holiday was changed to recognize men and women killed while fighting in any war. Several southern states continue to celebrate a separate Memorial Day for their Confederate dead.
In 1971, in order to assure a three day weekend for federal workers, a bill was signed changing Memorial Day from the 30th of May to the last Monday in May. However, in recent years there has been a move to try to change the observance back to its original date in hopes of reviving the solemn and reverent attitude in which the celebration was originally intended."