Joint Chiefs Chairman References Waterloo in Speech

ARLINGTON -- Speaking yesterday at the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey referenced how the holiday was first observed in Waterloo -- starting in the mid-1860s.

In 1866, Waterloo residents began decorating flags at half-mast with evergreens and mourning black, and they decorated soldiers' graves with flowers and other items.

On May 26, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Waterloo as the birthplace of Memorial Day.               

                                                        Martin Dempsey