For most of us, Memorial Day is the “unofficial” first day of Summer: a time for family get togethers, trips to the beach, and afternoon barbecues. It’s usually nothing more than a three-day weekend bookending the summer with Labor Day on the other end, a brief respite from the workweek grind, soon forgotten come Tuesday morning.

Ironically, the last thing Memorial Day should be is a day to forget, as it is quite literally a day of remembrance, the only day officially set aside to preserve the memories of those who have passed.