What Memorial Day Is For

Honor the fallen. Live the freedom they gave us

Most people consider Memorial Day the unofficial start of summer. It brings to mind barbecues, soccer games, and a flood of TV ads promoting every kind of sale. Thankfully, many also pause to reflect on the military lives lost — the true purpose of the holiday. But still, too few truly understand the history and meaning behind Memorial Day.

The holiday was first nationally observed in 1868 to honor the estimated 620,000 Union and Confederate dead of the Civil War — about 2 percent of the population at the time. It was originally called Decoration Day, named for the flowers laid on the graves of fallen soldiers and sailors. Though traditions varied from town to town, it was universally recognized as a solemn day of remembrance.

Memorial Day gave Americans a way to acknowledge the staggering human cost of war — for individuals, families, communities, and the nation. It also helped our country begin to heal its political wounds. A day dedicated to honoring those who died served as both a tribute and a salve.

As new generations were sent to war, the names of their fallen joined the honor roll. This public acknowledgment has always mattered — especially during divisive times like the Vietnam War, when Americans fiercely disagreed about the conflict. Yet even then, we honored the service members who gave their lives. Their sacrifice was — and always should be — above politics.

Then, as now, Memorial Day is marked with parades, public ceremonies, and wreath-laying traditions. Presidents traditionally place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, often delivering remarks that try to capture the weight of the moment.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan stood among the graves at Arlington and said, “Each one marks the resting place of an American hero.” Forty years later, President Joe Biden surveyed the same sacred ground and urged Americans to “make a daily commitment to act, to come together, to be worthy of the price that was paid.”

That call — to come together — is especially urgent now. While we are not in the midst of a civil war, we are in the most dangerously divided time in our modern history. As some seek to undermine democratic norms and concentrate power, our centuries-old republic faces real peril.

So this Memorial Day, I suggest we set politics aside and unite in honoring the fallen. Attend a parade. Watch the national commemoration at Arlington. If you fly the American flag, lower it to half-staff from sunrise to noon. And wherever you are at 3 PM local time, take a moment of silence — just one minute — to remember.

As a veteran who flew missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, I can tell you that those who served — and especially those who didn’t make it home — believed in something bigger than themselves. They believed in this country. They fought so you could enjoy your freedom.

So yes — enjoy this weekend. That’s part of what they died for. Fire up the grill. Hug your kids. Laugh with friends. Live fully and freely. That’s the point.

And if you’ve got room, maybe throw a burger on for them.