Although Memorial Day did not become a federal holiday in the United States until 1971, the tradition of honoring service members who died in the line of duty dates back to 1868 with the establishment of Decoration Day. The first major observance occurred at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.
Today in Hopkinsville and in communities across the nation, tiny American flags adorn the graves of veterans for the observance of Memorial Day on Monday.
The public may attend a service at 11 a.m. Monday at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West on Fort Campbell Boulevard. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1913 organizes the service. Two hours prior to the service, volunteers for the Travis Manion Foundation will place hand-made commemorative tokens at the graves of fallen service members.
