Traditionally observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day was officially established by John A. "Black Jack" Logan, a charismatic Civil War general, Congressman, Senator, and commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1868, for "the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country…" In this photo a Coast Guardsman observes a moment of silence before the graves of his fallen comrades on an unnamed atoll in the Pacific.
More World War II Photos…

Today’s Document from the National Archives