Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.
Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Congress passed The National Moment of Remembrance Act in 2000, as an added way of honoring America’s fallen heroes.
For one minute on Memorial Day, we are asked to stop everything to pay our respects to the men and women who died in service of our country, especially those who died in battle.
The time of 3pm was chosen because it’s likely when Americans are most enjoying the freedom made possible by those who died in service of their country.
Ken Crawford 