Just a little History on Memorial Day - It was originally called Decoration Day, as its purpose was to visit cemeteries and place flowers on the graves of soldiers who had died in the Civil War. By the time World Wars I and II had ended, it had evolved into a day to honor all fallen military men and women, no matter what war they fought in and was observed on May 30 for almost a century. In 1971 Memorial Day became a federal holiday and was set to the last Monday in May.