“Any Nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.”  
~Abraham Lincoln

What do you think of when you think about Memorial Day?  Do you think of enjoying a 3-day weekend?  Do you think of the sales at shopping malls?  Do you think of barbecues and the community pool opening for summer?  Maybe.  But do you ever think about the true meaning of Memorial Day?

According to the White House Commission on Remembrance,  “A Gallup Poll revealed that only 28% of Americans know the meaning of Memorial Day and most view it as a ‘day off’ rather than a day to connect with our nation’s history by paying tribute to those who gave their lives for us.”  That’s not a great statistic folks. 
In case you’re not a part of that 28%, Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of every May, is a day of remembrance to honor those who died serving our nation, those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. 

Memorial Day is coming up next Monday.  So what can we do to observe this day other than going shopping and swimming at the newly opened pool?  Here are my…

Top 10 Ways to Observe Memorial Day 

10)  Wear red, white, and blue!

9)  Honor a veteran on Facebook by changing your profile picture to an image of a veteran you know or an American flag

8)  Volunteer to place flags on military graves

7)  Attend a Memorial Day ceremony or parade

6)  Educate yourself.  Read a book about military history, chat with a veteran, or visit a military museum or other historic military site.

5)  Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to remind those in your community about the meaning of Memorial Day

4) Thank a veteran, either personally or in writing

3) Fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon

2)  Reach out to the family members left behind (widows, widowers, children, and parents).  If you know widows or widowers in your community, help them with yard work, bring them a meal, or honor them with a neighborhood barbecue.  Otherwise, email, send a card, or call to let them know you’re thinking of them.

1) Participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. to pause and think about the true meaning of Memorial Day and remember our fallen service members.  Help spread the word by telling 3 people about “the moment” and asking them to share with 3 other people.

What other ways can we observe Memorial Day?  What are your plans for this special day?


by | 8 Comments

8 Comments on Top 10 Ways to Observe Memorial Day

  2. These are great suggestions on how to spend Memorial Day weekend! I love it, and I know that I'll be doing at the least a couple of these to help spread the knowledge.

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  3. Hopefully my soldier will be home that weekend from training and I'll get to spend it with him but I would love to see the USMC museum that day with him and maybe visit my grandmother in the Quantico cemetery.

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  4. Thanks for posting this! I definitely get lost in the excitement of having my Airman around for a 4-day weekend (because you know they always get that Friday off, too (:), and before that it was the excitement of knowing my dad would be grilling some awesome steaks. Luckily, my dad never let a day go by in our house without talking about soldiers, be it car rides or in our before-mealtime prayers when he "took our minds to the East." It's been hard to remember that ever since leaving my parents' house, even while surrounded by them on a military base, so thank you for the reminder. God bless America, our soldiers, and all the family members standing behind them! 🙂

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  5. I posted "the moment" on my FB and will continue to post it all week and weekend long.

    We are attending a parade including a 21 gun salute, raising of the flag, and the playing of Taps.

    I think Memorial day is just another day to most people but in our Family it is much, much more. Thank you for posting this!

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