**May 15th is Peace Officers' Memorial Day**

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed Public Law 87-726 designating May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day. The law was amended in 1994 by President Bill Clinton directing that the flag of the United States be displayed at half-staff on all government buildings on May 15th each year.

Remember to display your American Flag at half-staff on May 15th to honor our heroes in Law Enforcement who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the peace and to protect the safety of their fellow citizens.

As the story goes, in 1865 in the village of Waterloo, NY, a druggist named Henry C. Welles mentioned at a social gathering that honor should be shown to the patriotic dead of the Civil War by decorating their graves. A committee was formed to plan a day devoted to honoring the dead, and the townspeople embraced the idea.

The village was decorated with flags at half-mast and draped with evergreen boughs and mourning black streamers. On May 5, 1866 a procession was lead by veterans marching to martial music to three existing cemeteries. The ceremonies were repeated on May 5, 1867.

In 1868, the first official recognition of Memorial Day was issued by General John A. Logan, first commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. This was General Order No. 11 establishing "Decoration Day". That year, Waterloo joined other communities in the nation by holding their ceremony on May 30. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called "Decoration Day".

Information Credits: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyseneca/memorial.htm, which references Centennial Celebration, souvenir edition of the Geneva Times, printed May 24, 1966.