Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was originally called, was a loosely organized day in May to remember northern soldiers who had died during the Civil War. It was General John Logan, as the Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, who issued General Orders No. 11 establishing May 30th as the official day of remembrance. The date was officially recognized in 1888 when it was declared a federal holiday by Congress.
By the 1890’s all of the northern states had followed suit in making it a holiday. Southern states did not join the movement until after World War I, when the emphasis was changed from northern Civil War soldiers who had died to those that had given their lives in all of our country’s wars. In 1967, the day was officially renamed Memorial Day and in 1971, the date was changed from May 30th to the last Monday in May.
It is now a day when we all remember the sacrifices these men and women made for our country. While complete accurate numbers are not available, it is estimated that over 1,355,000 American soldiers have perished since the American Revolution in U.S. military actions.
If you elect to fly our flag on Memorial Day, please remember that it is to be flown at half-staff until noon and then raised for the balance of the daylight hours.
As always, please contact us if you need further details on items we touched on above and keep us in mind for all of your governmental affairs needs.
The JEJ Team