For many, Memorial Day Weekend signifies the unofficial start to Summer! It means burgers and dogs on the grill, a day off of work, and some good ole fashioned rest and relaxation. Like many holidays, many people forget it's origin and why we get the day off from work in the first place.

I delved into history.com to gather some basic facts that we should all know about Memorial Day:

  • Memorial Day is a commemoration of the men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the U.S military
  • It is always observed on the last Monday of May
  • It was originally known as decoration day
  • Decoration Day was May 30th, 1868 (this day was chosen because it wasn't the anniversary of any particular battle)
  • It became a federal holiday in 1971
  • Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.

Yesterday US Air Force Master Sgt (Ret.) Lee Hirtle took a moment atop Mount Washington (aka the highest peak in the Northeast) to pay his respects at noon EST. Sgt. Hirtle sounded Taps from the observation deck to honor service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Within the first three notes I got goosebumps:

Thank you Sgt Hirtle for that moving moment. Someone in the comments noticed the guys in the background who immediately removed their hats. Shoutout to those guys as well! Those are some good Americans.

We are the land of the free because of the brave. We will never forget.

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