The unofficial start of summer, a three-day weekend for government employees, and an excuse for used car markdowns -- the last Monday in May is recognized in many ways in the United States. But at its core, Memorial Day is intended to be a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

Proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  It is now celebrated in almost every state by the enactment of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363).

Flying a flag at half-staff, attending a parade or memorial service, and pausing for a moment of silence are all powerful symbolic ways to mark Memorial Day.  But we should also challenge ourselves to do more than just the symbolic remembrance of those who have died; we can use the holiday as an occasion to ask what we can do to better support the survivors of conflict and the bereaved.

In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, President Barack Obama said people can honor all those who serve this Memorial Day by sending a letter or care package to troops overseas, volunteering at health clinics or taking supplies to a homeless veterans center. He said it could also mean something as simple as saying "thank you" to a veteran walking by on the street.

"We have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us," Obama said. "And yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve."

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. The graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored and neglected, flag etiquette is not followed. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many others have not had any formal recognition in decades.  Others have distorted the day as one for honoring any and all dead, not just those fallen in service to our country.

This year, Memorial Day observances will occur at more than 100 of the VA's national cemeteries. These commemorative events held over Memorial Day weekend or on the traditional Memorial Day (May 30) will honor the nearly one million American men and women who have died wearing the uniforms of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Special activities include color guards, bands, choirs, moving oratory, historic displays, the display of the "Avenue of Flags" or the placement of individual gravesite flags. Most events are sponsored by community, patriotic and civic groups in cooperation with national cemetery staff. Go to Memorial Day for a listing of these ceremonies.

"That is what Memorial Day is all about," the president, who will attend a ceremony Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, said. "It is about doing all we can to repay the debt we owe to those men and women who have answered our nation's call by fighting under its flag. It is about recognizing that we, as a people, did not get here by accident or good fortune alone."

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