The holiday originated with tributes for soldiers who died in the Civil War.
Memorial Day, observed the last Monday in May each year, is a holiday that pays tribute to American military members who have died in service to the U.S.
But the holiday hasn’t always paid tribute to all fallen service members, and it hasn’t always been called Memorial Day.
THE QUESTION
Was Memorial Day originally called Decoration Day?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.
WHAT WE FOUND
When the first national celebration of the modern Memorial Day holiday took place at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, the holiday was called Decoration Day.
The first observance of Decoration Day honored soldiers who died in the Civil War, the deadliest war in American history. The U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museumsays General John Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance. He …