Memorial Day Thoughts
Monday, May 29, 2017 at 4:00AM 
By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork
This Memorial Day, we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States of America. Among them are my uncle who was killed in action in Italy during World War II, and my brother-in-law who died in Vietnam.
This day of remembrance, originally called Decoration Day, began three years after the end of the Civil War, on May 5, 1868. It was designated as a time to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. After World War I, Memorial Day grew into an observation to honor the dead of all American wars.
Today, Memorial Day has become so much about the kickoff to grilling season, department store sales and the celebration of a three-day weekend, that it’s easy to forget why we get the day off.
But there is one simple act we can all perform to honor our war dead in the midst of our holiday activities.
National Moment of Remembrance
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs explains that “To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law ‘The National Moment of Remembrance Act,’ P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance.”
The commission’s charter is to coordinate commemorations of Memorial Day and to encourage all Americans to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance.
On Memorial Day, at 3 p.m. local time, The National Moment of Remembrance asks all Americans to pause for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation.
I’ve entered this time as an appointment on my iPhone so I won’t forget. Won’t you?
Have a safe Memorial Day weekend! Special Fork will return with more recipes, cooking tips and food ideas next week.
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