At 3:00 pm, May 31, 2021, will you remember?

Memorial Day was started after the civil war to give remembrance and honor those who died in the conflict.

Since that time, the holiday has grown to honor all military service members who died in service to our country, to help protect and uphold our freedoms and ideals.

In December of 2000, Former President, Bill Clinton, passed a resolution which became the birth of the “National Moment of Remembrance”, asking that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of silence, as a matter of respect.

While each of us can do this, how many of us really do stop what we are doing and remember those dedicated lives lost and what they mean? For many, Memorial Day is simply about a three-day weekend, having plenty of picnic food to eat, camping, and fun.

But more sobering, it’s estimated that there have been 666,441+ combat deaths of U.S. military men and women combined for all wars and conflicts since the start of our great country. Well over half a million.

As the conflict in Afghanistan continues on, gratefully, our military has not had any combat deaths in over a year. These occurred on Feb. 8, 2020, when Army Sgts. 1st Class Javier Gutierrez and Antonio Rodriguez were killed in action.

Regardless of that side of the political spectrum you fall on, and whether you agree with the conflicts we have been involved in or not, our way of life and all the blessings we have, come about due to the sacrifices these service members, and their families, have made.

Now remembering, how will you honor those who died in service to our country; who died in service for us all to have the life and freedoms we do right now?