Many view Memorial Day as the kickoff to the summer season. Many view Memorial Day as a time to visit family cemeteries, to clean the graves of loved ones or to place flowers there. Many view Memorial Day as a long, three-day weekend. I don’t have a problem with any of these, so long as everyone remembers what the intended purpose of Memorial Day actually is.

Memorial Day began as Decoration Day following the Civil War to remember those who had died during the war. In 1882, the name Memorial Day was first used, and in 1967, federal law made that the official name of the holiday. After World War I, the custom became to remember all military service members who had been killed while serving their country. The original date of Memorial Day was May 30. That was changed in 1971 with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved the celebration to the last Monday in May, creating the three-day weekend.

Enjoy your long, three-day weekend if you get one. Enjoy the chance to kick off the summer season. Enjoy spending time with your families, your barbecues, and any other traditions your family observes. However, don’t forget the reason this holiday was created. Freedom is never free. There are thousands who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms this great country affords us. Those are the ones we need to really remember on this holiday. Those are the ones we need to honor, acknowledge, appreciate, and thank. Memorial Day is for those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving this great country so that we can enjoy the long weekend with our family and friends, in addition to all the other freedoms and rights we enjoy (and often take for granted).

So as you celebrate the holiday weekend, please pause for a few minutes and remember those who gave all. There is even an official time designated to remind us to do this, and if you must, set an alarm for 3:00 on Monday to remind yourself to reflect, remember, and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

If you’d like more information about the Memorial Day holiday, you can visit the following website: http://www.usmemorialday.org