Today, the Star Spangled Salute honors Memorial Day.  It is believed the origins of Memorial Day grew from the earliest observances in Charleston, SC on May 1st, 1865, where parades, spiritual readings, songs and picnics took place while markers of neglected graves of fallen Civil War Soldiers were taken care of and decorated.  This gave birth to what was known as “Decoration Day”. The first official Decoration Day was held in Columbus, Mississippi on April 25th, 1866 by women who decorated with flowers, the graves of Confederate soldiers who perished in the battle at Shiloh. General Ulysses S. Grant presided over the first large observance, a crowd of about 5,000, at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30th, 1873, where orphaned children of soldiers placed flowers and small flags on both Union and Confederate graves and the holiday continued to grow into what it is today. Let us not forget it is a holiday honoring those who believed in something so much that they gave their life for it. To all those who died defending our country thank you for your service and your sacrifice.