Memorial Crosses are placed at the American Legion cemetery site of Oak Hill Cemetery, May 28, 2018, in Plattsmouth, Neb. American Legion Post 56 hosted a Memorial Day ceremony where U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Daniel Fillion, U.S. Strategic Command director of global operations, joined post members, veterans and members of the Plattsmouth-area community in recognizing the courage, legacy and service of those who gave their lives to guarantee the freedoms and liberties Americans enjoy today. The tradition of honoring fallen war veterans dates back to May 5, 1868, when the head of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the fallen military with flowers. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by Congress to be observed on the last Monday of May.