By Colleen Schuler, e-Management

“It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on,” President Abraham Lincoln declared. “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

The President, of course, was referring to the Union soldiers who had died five months earlier at the Battle of Gettysburg. It would be another 20 months of fighting before the last general of the Confederate Army surrendered.

Decoration Day Commences.

Three years after the Civil War ended, Memorial Day was created to honor the fallen soldiers on both sides of the conflict. After World War I, it was designated to honor all soldiers who died while serving their country. Originally known as Decoration Day (the soldiers’ graves were decorated) and celebrated on May 30, it wasn’t until 1971 with the passage of the National Holiday Act that it was moved to the fourth Monday in May. In 2000, President Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act designating “3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day each year as the National Moment of Remembrance, in honor of the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.”

Yes, Memorial Day is in remembrance for the fallen. But I suggest we broaden our view. Let’s honor the memories of those who’ve fallen in service to our country by using the gifts and talents we have to help and serve the living. Everyone can do something.

Twenty dollars.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Myles Eckert, whose father, U.S. Army Sgt. Andy Eckert, died in Iraq when Myles was an infant. Last year, Myles found $20 in a restaurant parking lot outside of Toledo, Ohio. He was going to spend it on himself when he saw a man in uniform—Lt. Col. Frank Dailey of the Ohio Air National Guard. Instead, he gave the money to Dailey with a note: “Dear Soldier – my dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.” That’s a big heart for an 8-year-old.

Clear Water.

In 2007, fresh out of college on a ROTC scholarship, U.S. Army Capt. Benjamin Sklaver was sent to northeast Africa. In Uganda, he saw that clean water was vital for the health of the people, especially those living in small villages, and worked to provide that. When he came back to the States, he set up the to continue helping the Ugandans. Two years later, Sklaver was redeployed to Afghanistan, working in civil affairs doing much of the same work that he had done in Uganda. But he lost his life to a suicide bomber. His parents and friends continued the work of his foundation; eight years later they are still going strong.

Kick for Nick.

U.S. Army Pvt. Nick Madaras inspired many people to honor his memory—with a global reach. Madaras, a soccer aficionado and youth-soccer coach from Connecticut, had been deployed to Iraq. He found that soccer broke down barriers, especially with the Iraqi children. Madaras’ goal was to send soccer balls to the Iraqi children. But he was killed by a roadside bomb in 2006. A Korean War vet, Ken Dartley, read a local newspaper article about Madaras and started a soccer ball drive. That has evolved into the . People from forty-seven states have sent more than 42,000 soccer balls to 19 countries. Cal Holt, an eighth grader from Winston-Salem, N.C., saw a video about Madaras and started his own drive for a school project. He and his friends collected 33 soccer balls. They ended up in the hands of children from the African nation of Djibouti. Seeing pictures of the smiling children, Holt said, “Doing this, I’ll remember this for a long time.”

What a great way to honor Pvt. Madaras—a seemingly small act with a big impact.

What does Memorial Day mean to you?

The beginning of summer? A paid holiday? Great bargains? Blockbuster movies? Cookouts?

Let’s remember the fallen. Let’s resolve that those who gave their lives for our country will not have died in vain.

Let’s make it a day that inspires. What will you do?