Description Food for Thought. Happy Memorial Day. Memorial Day beginnings are traced back to May 1st, 1865, in Charleston, SC. Former African American slaves buried and gave a proper funeral to 257 Union soldiers after the soldiers were found in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. After the funeral, a parade was thrown to commemorate the sacrifices these Union soldiers gave. 10,000 people participated. The US Civil War was between 1861-1865. The Arlington Cemetery became an official National Cemetery on June 15th, 1864, yet it was desegragated in 1948 (84 years after the Civil War).