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History has had no shortage of wars, and human nature will probably make sure that the future is full of them, as well.

Along with the inevitable losses of war comes the sad duty of paying homage to those who died in them.

The U.S., although it is a relatively young nation, has been observing a memorial day for war dead for 142 years. Since the creation of our country, more than one million men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms and way of life.

Memorial Day was started in 1868 after the Civil War, when the commander of the Grand Army of the Republic ordered that the graves of the late Union dead be suitably decorated on May 30th.

According to General John Logan's proclamation, the day was designated "for the purpose of strewing with flowers and otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land."

For years afterward, to many people the observance was known as "Decoration Day" and there are older people who still use that description. Some families faithfully carry on the tradition of decorating graves each year on that date.

Over time, Memorial Day evolved as a national commemoration for the dead of all the nation's wars. There was a hope that one of them was to be "the war to end all wars," but that was not the case. Our list of wars grows continuously longer and the number of people to remember grows longer every year.

Memorial Day has moved away from the simple, solemn occasion it once was to being a national three-day weekend with a celebratory tone.

The original meaning is overshadowed by barbecues, parades, ball games and picnics. These are good things to be sure, but all the activities leave little time for giving thought to our fallen soldiers.

Most people are lucky if they spend one minute of silent tribute at a public gathering to recall what the day is all about.

There are some people who suffer deeply on this day, however. They are the families and friends of those who were lost, and their personal grief does not require any special day for expression.

For those of us who have not lost loved ones in war, it can be difficult to relate to the abstract deaths of soldiers in foreign lands.

Whether the human loss is personal or corporal, all Americans are certainly indebted to remember those who died and to honor them for their supreme sacrifice.

And the observance serves another purpose. It is hoped that in remembering those who gave their lives and what they died for, the American Republic and the principles that sustain it might live.

Memorial Day is a time to pause and think about not only their sacrifice, but also our responsibility.

The honored dead would want us to do more than give them a fleeting thought once a year. More probably they would want us to live in a way that shows we appreciate the privileges and freedoms we have as Americans.

That means doing things like keeping informed of current events, taking an active part in local government, volunteering in ways that strengthen the community, and showing up to put our ballots in the election box.

Considering that they gave their lives to ensure us these freedoms, participating seems like the least we can do.