As Memorial Day approaches on Monday, many will be enjoying a three-day weekend, but we want to remind everyone of the meaning of Memorial Day. It is not just a day off from work, an additional day of the weekend for pool parties and cookouts. It is also not for the men and women who have served in our military or are currently serving. It is a time to remember and honor those who gave their all in the service to our country.

Many families never saw their loved one’s remains returned from a war on foreign soil. Many of those Americans who served and gave all are buried in cemeteries in France and other places in Europe. Some are buried inside the ships they went down in. Some were buried in the jungles of Vietnam or the islands of the Pacific. Some were never found, and are presumed missing in action or dead.

Memorial Day is the time to commemorate those have lost their lives in service, fighting for the freedoms we enjoy today. From the American Revolutionary War, to the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, and all the wars in the Middle East, there have been men and women who were willing to step up and serve even at the risk of their own life. It is those servicemen and women we honor on Memorial Day, those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We think of them and their families on this day, and while we thankful for their service, we also pray for peace.