"Memorial Day originally began as a time for the families of Civil War soldiers to commemorate the heroic actions of their deceased family members. Over the years, it came to serve as a commemoration to remember all the U.S. men and women killed or missing in action when serving their country," Senator Farley said.

"We shouldn't wait until our veterans are gone to treasure them. These veterans are living history and we can learn so much from them. They sacrificed so much. Their honorable service to their country during World War II and in other foreign conflicts was courageous because they left their comfortable surroundings and helped to not only protect their nation, but other nations in the fight for freedom," Senator Farley said.