Living up to their pledge to “never forget,” Union veterans create a fraternal organization known as the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) at war’s end. Across the country, more than 400,000 former soldiers and sailors meet at local GAR halls to reminisce, remember fallen comrades and discuss the day’s events. Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Halls also serve as a place to display keepsakes of the war enabling all to see relics that remind us of a war long gone, but not forgotten.
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