This upcoming weekend we commemorate Memorial Day. I ask that you all reflect on the brave men and women who loved their country and fellow Americans enough to make the ultimate sacrifice, those who held dear the value of selfless service for a cause greater than themselves.

Memorial Day became a national holiday in 1971, and though it has been observed in some form since the 1860s, those touched by the loss of a loved one are affected by the weight of it every year.

On this holiday, we remember our brave heroes and understand the costs of war can't be commemorated appropriately through speeches and headstone flags – that even the right words are feeble and fleeting. If we hope to honor the valor of America's fallen heroes in that way alone – we'll fall short every time. The debt that we share is too high to reach through anything but a shared commitment to ensuring continued freedom, security, and peace.

Though our part is far less heroic than the fallen Sailors, Marines, Soldiers and Airmen, we remember this weekend, it is our responsibility to honor their sacrifice by banding together, strengthening our bonds, and bearing the burden of our immense losses together.

Observe humbly by keeping in mind the parents, spouses, children, and loved ones of those taken too soon. We owe it to their families and memories to do our part in preserving the freedoms they purchased with their lives that we enjoy every single day.

Also, in addition to Memorial Day as a whole, the National Moment of Remembrance Act, adopted by Congress in December of 2000, is an opportunity to commemorate collectively at exactly 3:00 p.m. Please take a minute of pause to honor our flag, salute in silence, resolve to be better and remember our fallen heroes. If you’re traveling on the road, you can also join in with Amtrak engineers nationwide who sound their horns in unison at precisely 3:00 p.m.

Although I wish I could take credit for writing this, it wouldn't be the honorable thing to do, the credit goes to Capt. Grady Duffy our Commanding Officer at Fleet Readiness Center South East where I work. I read it and it kind of stirred something in me and I just thought it was worthy of passing on.