Memorial Day honors the women and men who have died in military service for the United States. Memorial Day was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 1971, and was originally known as Decoration Day in the years following the American Civil War. Americans commemorate the day by attending memorials and cemeteries, holding parades and hosting neighborhood barbecues.

As we spend the long weekend with our loved ones, we remember and honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.