Just where did Memorial Day originate? According to the History Channel:
Approximately 25 cities and towns claim to have originated Memorial Day in the years immediately before Grand Army of the Republic leader John A. Logan designated May 30, 1868, as a day “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.”
Photo by Craig Ligibel The idea for Memorial Day (known as Decoration Day in the 1800s) did not arise with General Logan; he had been inspired by local commemorations of Civil War dead already being held in pockets throughout the North and the South, in some cases before the war had even concluded. The federal government weighed in on the debate 50 years ago when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a May 26, 1966, proclamation that “officially recognized that the patriotic tradition of observing Memorial Day began one hundred years ago in Waterloo, New York.” The small Finger Lakes village first staged an annual community-wide commemoration of its war dead on May 5, 1866, when businesses shuttered and residents draped buildings in black crepe and adorned soldiers’ graves with flowers and flags. But regardless of where Memorial Day originated, it continues to be a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Happy Memorial Day, readers. To view more Blue Angels photos from photographer Dan Phelps, click here.