What were you doing at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day?

Did you observe federal law and spend a minute in silence reflecting, remembering, praying or otherwise honoring all the men and women in the U.S. military who have died serving this nation?

Oxford Village attorney Bob Davis hopes you did.

That’s what he asked the crowd gathered in downtown’s Centennial Park to do later that day as he delivered his Memorial Day speech.

“Today, every train on an Amtrak railroad will sound its horn at 3 o’clock. Today, if you’re watching a major league baseball game, it will stop at 3 o’clock,” Davis said. “I’m asking that we all stop today at 3 o’clock.”

Davis, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, served as the guest speaker at this year’s ceremony.

He reminded everyone about the National Moment of Remembrance Act, signed by President Bill Clinton on Dec. 28, 2000.

Why was 3 p.m., local time, selected as the moment for the entire nation to pause in remembrance of the fallen?

“It’s the height of our day,” Davis said. “It is the last day of a three-day weekend, but more importantly, it’s when freedom will be at its greatest across America.”

Freedom in the form of barbecues, picnics, parades, boating, sporting events, vacations and a whole host of other recreational activities. None of this would be possible without the men and women who served, fought, bled and died on battlefields, both foreign and domestic.

Davis reminded the crowd that “freedom comes at a cost” and “patriotism is not cheap.”

He noted there’s significant difference between Veterans Day, celebrated in November, and Memorial Day.

Veterans Day is designed to honor all U.S. military veterans who served this country honorably. “Those folks came home by land, by sea or by air,” Davis said.

Memorial Day honors service members who perished in battle or died from injuries sustained on the battlefield.

“Today, we remember the fallen,” Davis said. “The folks who did not come home.”

“What a blessing it might be if we didn’t have a Memorial Day. But that’s not the reality and that’s not the price that we’ve paid,” he noted.

It must never be forgotten that those who did not make it back to civilian life were cut down in the flower of youth.

“The average age of death in the military, in the line of duty, ranges from 18 to 27. In (the) modern world, that’s a tragic, early, young death,” Davis said. “Yet, that is when most of our fallen heroes perished.”

Davis urged the crowd to not allow Memorial Day to become simply another day on the calendar.

“We cannot distance ourselves from the past and we should never let Memorial Day slip by without strong, strong remembrance,” he said. “We must keep our connection to the fallen heroes. Today is not a day of politics. Today is not a day of talk. Today is Memorial Day. No (fallen member of the military) lost a life in vain.”

Davis noted during World War II , “12 percent of all Americans were somehow engaged in military service.”

“Today, that figure is less than one-half of one percent,” he said.

He encouraged the crowd to think of ways they can serve this nation and take action.

“Each of us has a burden here to maintain our way of life,” Davis said. “Spend some time today thinking about your burden. Many gave their lives. We can all give a little. Find a way, make a way to (be of) service. Pick (something) and be good at what you do for this nation.”