Memorial Day is not merely a day for parades, bargain retail sales, barbecues and a Monday off for a long weekend.
Rather, it a National Day of Remembrance, the most solemn of all federal holidays. It recognizes, honors and celebrates those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives serving in the US military forces. Established in 1868 as Decoration Day, the holiday eventually helped unify a nation fragmented by the deep divisions of the American Civil War, eventually representing the fallen of both north and south. It became an official federal holiday in 1971.
Memorial Day traditions are many and varied and include laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. In 2000, the US Congress established the National Moment of Remembrance to encourage all Americans to pause in an act of national unity at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day in honor of all those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.
PMG salutes each and every fallen hero.
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