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The Memorial Day weekend has become a respite from the fast-paced lives we all live. The unofficial start of the summer season, the holiday traditionally gives people a long weekend to rest, regroup and relax, but its roots are much deeper than a day off.

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember the sacrifices our nation’s soldiers have made.

Tradition has it that Gen. John Logan, the commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, first ordered a Memorial Day in 1868 to remember both Union and Confederate dead. He got the idea from the ladies of the South, so legend has it.

Whatever its roots, Memorial Day’s true meaning is three-fold: duty, honor and courage.  Had it not been for the American military through the years, our nation would not be free. The world would not be what it is. Our soldiers had the courage to do their duty. Many of them gave their lives. We honor their memory, their sacrifice, and their lives with our respect.

Over the weekend, cemeteries all across the country will be ablaze with tiny American flags honoring service men and women who are buried there. We owe our veterans this debt, and we must never forget their – for their struggles have ensured our freedom and our liberty.