It is a moving and powerful image: 260,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia marked with American flags in honor of Memorial Day – an assignment of honor accepted by soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, dating back to 1784.

Before turning to our Memorial Day Weekend activities marking the unofficial start of summer (and our friends in the UK enjoying a Monday off for late May bank holiday), we in the U.S. need to remember that our freedoms and our ability to enjoy life's pleasures came at the expense of the heroic men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice. As it is said, we owe it to their memory, and to the families they left behind, to hold this day sacred, to honor them and to remember them.

We remember them this weekend ... and offer our gratitude.