Today is Memorial Day, a day that honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. At first, this observance was called Decoration Day. Citizens would decorate the grave of the fallen soldiers in the years following the Civil War. That grueling four-year blood bath claimed the lives of almost half of all the war dead from all the wars throughout our nation's history.

Although observed in many places since 1868 or before, Memorial Day did not become a federal holiday until 1971. The official moment of remembrance is 3 p.m. local time. At 3 p.m. today, pause to honor the memory of the fallen and pray for those currently serving in our armed forces.

Memorial Day once had a fixed date, like Christmas or July 4. On May 5, 1868, Gen. John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance. Gen. Logan chose May 30 because it was not the date of any particular battle.

“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” Gen. Logan proclaimed.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield delivered a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. Five thousand people attended to decorate the graves of the 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried in the national cemetery that was once the property of Robert E. and Mary Custis Lee. In March 1881, Gen. Garfield became President Garfield. Four months later, President Garfield became the victim of an assassination – July 2, 1881.

In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. That act established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971. The same law declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

What are some ways we can properly observe Memorial Day? InspireKindness.com suggests “10 Ways to Honor Our Fallen Heroes This Memorial Day.”

1. Pause for a moment of silence at 3 p.m. your local time for the National Moment of Remembrance.

2. Show your patriotism by flying your American flag.

3. Visit a military cemetery or war memorial.  Lenoir County has two Civil War battlefields you can visit.

4. Watch the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS.

5. Wear a red poppy or place them in your home.

6. Tell a story or share a photo on social media about a friend or family member that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

7. Call, text, or visit someone that has lost a soldier. Celebrate the memory of this hero.

8. Donate to a charity that supports military families.

9. Go to a Memorial Day parade.

10. Be thankful for our fallen soldiers, and extend your thoughts and prayers for their families.

Memorial Day has become the unofficial start of summer. I cannot imagine how many grills will be aflame today as families gather to enjoy the three-day weekend. But amid these celebrations, please do not forget the purpose of today. Honor those fallen in service of our nation, and show respect to those now putting their lives on the line to protect our liberties.

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.