At the American Cemetery in Epinal, France there are 15 American bomber crew members - members who had previously been buried at the American Cemetery Münsingen, Switzerland (July 1944 - January 1948). Memorial Day is a US-American holiday that is celebrated every year on the last Monday in May to honour those who died in war defending their mother country. It dates back to the American Civil War, when in 1868 General John A. Logan proclaimed May 30th as a day of remembrance, then called «Decoration Day ». In 1882 the day was officially declared a holiday, renamed «Memorial Day». Originally, soldiers who had died in the Civil War were commemorated on the day; after World War I, all American war victims were included. In 1971, Nixon's Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May in order to create a long weekend. Traditionally, military cemeteries and memorial sites have been visited on this day. The US flag is set at half-mast until noon. Volunteers decorate all the graves in the national cemeteries with small flags. Memorial Day for the fallen is complemented by Veterans Day in October to honour all of the US military war veterans.
