For most Americans, this last weekend in May was a joyous celebration of having Monday off and a long weekend that was perfect for get-togethers and barbecues. But for others, it was long and sad as they remember deceased loved ones who gave their lives to protect our Freedom.

Why do we observe Memorial Day?

We observe it because over 1.2 million U.S. soldiers have been killed in combat and nearly 1.5 million U.S. soldiers have been wounded, with the majority occurring during the four-year American Civil War. These are the people we honor not only every day but especially on days like today.

Memorial Day, also known as Decoration Day, first began in Waterloo, New York the May of 1866. At first, it was a simple remembrance where the people of Waterloo closed businesses for a day and decorated the graves of the fallen.

However, the first Memorial Day ceremony wasn’t until 1968, where General (not-yet-president) James Garfield, addressed thousands at Arlington National Cemetery. The holiday’s name legally changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day in 1967, and it wasn’t until 1971 that Congress declared it to be a national holiday.

But Memorial Day isn’t the only holiday that remembers those who died during combat. Many southern states — including Tennessee, Texas, the Carolinas, and Virginia, among others — observe what is known as Confederate Memorial Day, though it is not always observed on the same day as Memorial Day.

In 2000, under President Bill Clinton, the National Moment of Remembrance Act was signed. This act requires Americans to pause at 3:00 p.m. local time for a moment of silence in order to remember and honor the deceased soldiers. Though it seems as if many people have forgotten this, I believe it would be of great value to participate in and inform people of. If over a million Americans have given up their lives for our freedom, can’t we take at least a minute to pause and thank them?

Just like President James Garfield said at the first official Memorial Day ceremony:

“If silence is ever golden, it must be beside the graves of 15,000 men, whose lives were more significant than speech, and whose death was a poem the music of which can never be sung.”

His words are so beautiful and poignant. War affects each and every one us, and we owe much gratitude to those who willingly dedicate themselves to our cause.

Let’s not forgot to listen for their song today.