Memorial Day is a day of great fun for Americans. It signals the start of warmer weather, it gives most of us a day off work, we find discounts at department stores and host backyard cookouts filled with the best food we all enjoy. But I believe it’s of greater importance to take a moment and reflect on why we have this day to begin with. It’s not just for us: it’s for the men and women who served and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Originally known as “Decoration Day”, the ideals of Memorial Day were supported by Americans from its inception after the Civil War. The first year, in 1868, 27 states commemorated the day, and by 1890 every state acknowledged it as an official holiday. In fact, the nation’s first Memorial Day ceremony was held right here in New York in the Village of Waterloo. It wasn’t until 1971 that it became an official holiday, changed to “Memorial Day” and grew to include fallen soldiers from any United States conflict.

And it’s in that same spirit – recognizing the fallen warriors throughout America’s history – that we take a day from general work and governance to honor the lost lives that protect the comforts of sales at stores and backyard cookouts that we enjoy today. We often lose sight of that in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, but it’s imperative on us, the ones that benefit from the sacrifice, to keep the names and memories of each soldier who died protecting us alive in our hearts and our minds for all time. I will be spending my Memorial Day doing just that, and I implore you all to do the same.