Ways to honor our nation's heroes on Memorial Day

As you're firing up the grill and enjoying extra time with your family and friends on Memorial Day, it can be easy to forget why you're afforded this extra R&R. Memorial Day is a national holiday to remember, honor and pay tribute to our nation's heroes who served our country.

Ways you can observe Memorial Day

Visit a cemetery to pay tribute to fallen heroes. Place flowers or flags at the gravestones of service members who often don't have any surviving family to do so.

Display the U.S. flag using proper etiquette. Since Memorial Day is a day of national mourning, fly your flag at half-staff from sunrise until noon, and raise it back to full-staff at noon.

Pause at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. The National Monument of Remembrance Act, passed in 2000, requires all Americans to stop what they are doing at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember those who have died in service.

Make a financial donation. There are several non-profit organizations that support veterans and their families, and are always in need of financial support. One of them is Allina Health Hospice Fund. To help veterans at end of life with room and board expenses you can make a contribution to the Honoring Veterans Fund here.