A Daughter of the Regiment - G. A. R. - Memorial or Decoration Day - ornate vintage postcard. The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), Marines and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. The G. A. R. became among the first organised advocacy groups in American politics, supporting voting rights for black veterans, promoting patriotic education, helping to make Memorial Day a national holiday, lobbying the United States Congress to establish regular veterans' pensions, and supporting Republican political candidates. Date: circa 1911