Which U.S. veterans’ organization issued the 1868 order that launched the first national Decoration Day?

The Grand Army of the Republic issued the 1868 order that launched the first national Decoration Day.

The Grand Army of the Republic, usually abbreviated GAR, was a fraternal organization for Union veterans of the American Civil War. General John A. Logan served as its commander in chief when he called for members to decorate the graves of fallen comrades on May 30, 1868.

The GAR provided an important network for spreading the observance across former Union communities. Its posts organized ceremonies, grave decoration, speeches, and memorial gatherings. Over time, the tradition expanded beyond the organization and beyond Civil War graves.

The GAR is sometimes confused with the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars, both founded after World War I. Those groups became prominent in later veterans’ affairs, but neither issued Logan’s original Decoration Day order.