05/24/2026
Memorial Day traces its roots to the years following the Civil War, when Americans gathered to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers in what was first known as “Decoration Day.”
Arlington National Cemetery itself was established during the war as the nation struggled through some of its darkest days. By the end of the Civil War, more than 16,000 Union soldiers were buried there, and on May 30, 1868, the first official Memorial Day ceremony was held on those grounds.
Future President James Garfield honored the fallen soldiers who had “made immortal their patriotism and their virtue” through their sacrifice.
The cost of war was deeply personal. Before the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861, Major Sullivan Ballou wrote a final letter to his wife Sarah, explaining why he was willing to fight for his country:
“I know how strongly American civilization now leans upon the triumph of government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution, and I am willing, perfectly willing to lay down all my joys in this life to help maintain this government, and to pay that debt.”
He later wrote:
“Sarah, my love for you is deathless… and yet, my love of country comes over me like a strong wind, and bears me irresistibly on… to the battlefield.”
Ballou was killed in battle shortly after writing those words.
This Memorial Day, we remember not only the history, but also the sons, fathers, brothers, husbands, and friends who never came home.🇺🇸
May we honor their sacrifice with gratitude, reflection, and remembrance.🇺🇸
