Master Sgt. Robert Lilly pays his respects to a fallen service member May 28, 2013, at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nev. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Hughes

Today is Memorial Day, honoring the men and women who died serving in the United States Military.  In cities and towns across the country, Americans will line the streets of downtowns to watch parades or visit cemeteries and memorials. An annual national moment of remembrance can be observed at 3:00 p.m. local time.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, originating after the Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865.  Waterloo, N.Y. first held a community day of tribute to the fallen soldiers of the Civil War on May 5, 1866, during which businesses were closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags. Other towns and cities also began…