What is the Memorial Day National Moment of Remembrance?:
The National Moment of Remembrance, established December 28, 2000 by Congress in the the National Moment of Remembrance Act (Public Law 106-579), asks Americans wherever they are on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity for one minute. According to the White House Commission on Remembrance, the idea for the Moment originated when children touring the nation’s capital were not able to describe the true meaning of Memorial Day, most responding “That’s the day the pool opens.” Also, a Gallup Poll revealed that only 28 percent of Americans know the meaning of Memorial Day.
The National Moment of Remembrance is not intended to replace traditional Memorial Day events. It was created as an act of national unity in which all Americans, either alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. In President Clinton's statement on the signing of the National Moment of Remembrance Act, he said that the law "recognizes a commemoration begun on Memorial Day in May 1997, when Taps was played at 3 p.m. on many radio and television stations across the Nation as Americans paused to remember the men and women who have lost their lives in service to our country."
When Does the National Moment of Remembrance Take Place?:
Every year on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. local time.
Additional Information:
For more information, visit:
