Memorial Day commemorates our friends, neighbors, family members and fellow citizens who died while in military service to our country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. On this coming Memorial Day, May 31, communities will organize parades and people will visit cemeteries and memorials to honor loved ones as well as strangers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Traditionally, volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries and a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 PM local time. Those commemorating Memorial Day often wear red poppy boutonnieres. In the war-torn battlefields of Europe, the common red field poppy was one of the first plants to reappear. Its seeds scattered in the wind and germinated when they were disturbed by the fighting which inspired Canadian solder, John McCrae to write the now-famous poem “In Flanders Fields.” Three years later in 1918, an American professor, Moina Michael mentioned in her poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith” wearing the “poppy red” to honor the dead, which spawned the tradition of adorning one’s clothing with a single red poppy in remembrance of those killed in war. This Memorial Day, it is appropriate to also honor those who have died in service to our country by standing on the front lines of the COVID pandemic. Though not military, thousands of first responders, nurses, doctors and other health care workers died battling the virus to save the lives of our loved ones, neighbors and strangers. Remembering these courageous men and women who fought tirelessly within our community and in communities throughout the world may be the best way to honor and show our respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others.