The tradition we celebrate as Memorial Day was begun as early as 1868, possibly as early as 1866, when Decoration Day was "instituted", to remember the fallen in the War Between the States. The name was later changed to Memorial Day, and enlarged in it's scope so that it is now is a way for us to honor the fallen from ALL wars in which American fighting men and women have been lost. A very solemn day for me, as there have been seven Hillis men lost in these wars.