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The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was founded
on April 6, 1866, in Decatur, Illinois, by Major
Benjamin F. Stephenson, a Surgeon who served in the
14th Illinois Infantry. The society was composed of
men who had fought for the Union during the Civil
War and had been honorably discharged. Its purposes
were to honor those who had died in the war, to
provide for the widows and orphaned children, to
promote comradeship among all veterans, and to
uphold the Constitution and protect the Flag at all
cost. Its watchwords were Fraternity, Charity and
Loyalty

In 1868, the second Commander-in-Chief, General
John A. Logan, issued his famous General Order No.
11 establishing May 30th as Decoration Day. From
then on, May 30th was to be a very special day for
those who had worn the Blue, and had fought and died
in defense of national unity. Later, it would be
renamed Memorial Day to honor the dead of all wars
and more recently it would be moved to the last
Monday in May.