Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day andis a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

Decoration Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th 1868 by General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30th 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

By 1890 it was recognized by all of the Northern states however, the South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress.

In December 2000, the U.S. Congress created "The National Moment of Remembrance" to ensure the sacrifices of America's more than 1 million fallen heroes are never forgotten. All Americans are encouraged to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

This Memorial Day take a moment to stop and pay your respects for those who died protecting and preserving the freedoms we enjoy, for we owe those honored dead more than we can ever repay because... FREEDOM IS NOT FREE