by Ronnie Dauber

Created on: August 20, 2008

Memorial Day is the one day each year when Americans pay tribute to all the people who gave their lives fighting for freedom. The first memorial days were referred to as Decoration Days, a name given to a period of time when mothers and wives traditionally went to the cemeteries and decorated the graves of their loved ones.

In 1867, Nella L. Sweet wrote a hymn entitled, Kneel Where Our Loves Are Sleeping, and she dedicated it to the ladies of the south who decorated graves of their lost. It became an unofficial tradition prior to the end of the Civil War for women from the south to decorate the graves in honour of their fallen family members and friends.

On May 5, 1868 General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed Memorial Day as a day of public recognition when he placed flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. This observation was noted as being one of the first public displays of memorial services.

The first state to officially recognize Memorial Day as a day of tribute was New York in 1873. By 1890 all the northern states followed New York in mourning for the lost soldiers. However, the southern states remained separate from sharing this day and declared their own day to honour the lost soldiers from the Civil War.

As America's history progressed through World War One, it was decided that the memorial services would be held on one selected day to honour all the fallen soldiers from all the wars and not just from the Civil War.

The first official birth place of the Memorial Day was acknowledged as being Waterloo, New York in a public declaration made by former President Lyndon B. Johnson in May of 1966. However, many cities nationwide have claimed to be the original pioneers of this day.

Senator Inouve introduced Bill S 189 to the Senate on January 19, 1999 proposing that the celebration of Memorial Day be returned to May 30th, instead of the last day in May as it was established through the National Holiday Act in 1971. Representative Gibbons introduced the bill in April of 1999, but to date no change has been made.

Regardless, there are yet several southern states that still hold to their own separate memorial day services for their lost soldiers from the Confederate War. Each of these states has their own selected day of honour that spans from April until June.

Memorial Day is remembered by thousands of dedicated Americans who wear the traditional poppy on their

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