Origin


Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), onetime American patriotic organization, composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War. It was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on April 6, 1866, and was dissolved in 1956 following the death of its last member. Founded for the commemoration of dead comrades and the practice of fraternity and mutual assistance, the GAR instituted the observance of Memorial Day in 1868. The organization wielded considerable political influence at various times, particularly in its support of presidential candidates between 1872 and 1904 when its membership was greatest.

"Grand Army of the Republic", Microsoft@ Encarta@ Online Encyclopedia 2000 http://encarta.msn.com @ 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved


Memorial Day, legal holiday, observed annually on the last Monday in May in most of the United States, in honor of the nation's armed services personnel killed in wartime. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, hence the original name. Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, on the order of General John Alexander Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead. It was observed on May 30 until 1971, when most states changed to a newly established federal schedule of holiday observance. Confederate Memorial Day, formerly a legal holiday in many southern states, is still observed on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama, the last Monday in April in Mississippi, and April 26 in Florida and Georgia.


"Memorial Day", Mirosoft@ Encarta@ Online Encyclopedia 2000 http://encarta.msn.com @ 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved