Opening Remarks followed by the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The Commanding General for Transformation Brigadier General John M. Brown (You can see this speech here.)
In 1868 he issued an order Designating 30 May as a day for decorating graves of War Dead. In 1873, New York became the first state to honor Decoration Day, and other states soon followed to honor originally the Memory of the Civil War dead. Today it applies to those Fallen in all Wars in which the United States has Participated.