n a day many people will have off from work or school, we hope they will take at least a moment to reflect on the reason why.

Memorial Day is when the United States remembers its men and women of the armed services killed during wartime.

The day began as a memorial for Civil War veterans and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Observed on the last Monday in May, the day has come to serve as a time to remember all service people killed or missing in action in all the nation's wars.

Unfortunately for many, the day has also come to serve as part of just another three-day weekend - a time for boating, burgers and beer.

There's nothing wrong with celebrating the start of the summer season with friends and family. But for Memorial Day to retain its essence, Americans must remember those who fought and died in service to the country.

New Yorkers, moreover, might find special significance in the fact that the state was the first - in 1873 - to recognize Memorial Day as a legal holiday.

With so much attention these days focused on the things that divide us - partisan politics, abortion and immigration - it's important to recognize the things that unite us, such as our freedoms to assemble, worship and express our views.

Whether or not we agree that Americans should currently be fighting overseas, those who have died in the past few years deserve our respect as much as those who died during the birth of our nation or in its defense against world powers some 60 years ago.

We thank those who are able to attend at a graveside service, parade or other organized memorial today.

If that isn't possible, simply take a moment to think about those Americans who lost their lives in service to the country.