(NEXSTAR) — Since it was established, Memorial Day has had a clear purpose: giving Americans a day to honor those who have died in American wars. Unlike other holidays, its significance also comes with special guidelines on how the American flag should be flown.

Memorial Day's origins stretch back to the late 1800s, when Decoration Day was established three years after the end of the Civil War. It was meant to give the nation a day to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Decoration Day was eventually set for May 30 to correspond with flowers being in bloom.

Years later, the holiday would be renamed Memorial Day.

Though dozens of places have been linked to the origins of Memorial Day, the VA........

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