Union Army Maj. Gen. John A. Logan poses in this undated 19th century photo. Logan, known as the "Father of Memorial Day," ordered in 1868 that: "The 30th day of May is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country . . . " to honor the nearly 500,000 lives lost in the U.S. Civil War. First known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day expanded to an observance honoring all U.S. war dead after World War I and in 1971 was made an official national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May. (AP Photo)