In 2000 The National Moment of Remembrance Act was passed by Congress. On Memorial Day (this Monday), at 3:00PM, this Act asks us to stop everything we are doing and spend one minute honoring the men and women who died in service of our country. The time of 3:00PM was selected because it is when most of us are busy enjoying ourselves on Memorial Day – enjoying the freedom made possible by those who gave their lives while serving our country.
In this beautiful video produced by the Uniformed Services Benefit Association, a not-for-profit association that provides insurance and financial products and services to military families, here’s what should happen at 3:00PM on Monday in observance of the National Moment of Remembrance:
Trains will blow their whistles. Almost 500,000 Major League Baseball fans will pause for a moment of silence. Cars will drive with their headlights on. Americans everywhere will wave flags. Taps will play throughout the nation.
But none of this will happen if we don’t make it happen. So let’s do just that. Let’s make it happen. As the video suggests, please set your cell phone alarm to 3:00PM on Monday. Please stop what you are doing for a minute and remember. Download Taps to your phone and play it as you do.
There is nothing complicated about honoring our fallen soldiers. Ideally we should spend a lot more than one minute on Monday reflecting on what they gave us. But, one minute is better than nothing. One minute is a simple way to bring some sanctity back to Memorial Day. And in this day and age when our country is so divided, one minute of unity can help put things in perspective and remind us what our country is all about.
We owe our fallen heroes this one minute of reflection. Please, give them and their families the honor and respect they deserve. Please observe Memorial Day.
