As the year keeps speeding along, here we are again at Memorial Day coming up on Monday.

To many local residents, the day will simply be an opportunity for time off from work and a three-day weekend – maybe a quick trip to the beach to kick off the summer, which won’t officially arrive until June 21.

But despite its all popular association with backyard barbecues and picnics, Monday is a actually a solemn holiday bought with the sacrifices of men and women in our armed services who gave their lives as the ultimate gift for our freedom.

Each year, local residents make sure the serious reason for the holiday is not forgotten. On Saturday, members of American Legion John Edwards Post 12 members met at Rosehill Cemetery to place flags by the graves of veterans buried in local cemeteries.

Then on Monday, Brookhaven’s VFW Post 2618 will, as it has in past years, post a special ceremony at the Lincoln County-Brookhaven Government Complex to remember our fallen heroes.

This year’s program is scheduled for 10 a.m. and will feature Sgt. John W. Emory Jr. and Col. Amos Philip Parker Jr., who will discuss the importance of remembering those who have died in service for the United States.

We commend Brookhaven’s VFW Post 2618 for holding our local Memorial Day program, and we encourage all area residents to take a few minutes and attend.

During the Memorial Day ceremony each year, an honor guard posts the colors as the names of all the fallen men and women from Lincoln County from World War I to the current days are read aloud.

Take time to go, listen and find out who these heroes were and pay them your respects.

We thank all the men and women in our nation’s armed forces – and their families – for giving us the opportunity to enjoy our Memorial Day.