As we head into the 3-day Memorial Day weekend, please take the time to honor our fallen troops and their surviving families. Although this is a time that many people plan travel getaways, it's important to remember why this holiday exists.

Memorial Day was originally celebrated on May 5, 1866, when Congress and President Johnson honored Civil War Veterans. The date was later changed to May 30 by Major General John Logan, who picked the date "because flowers would be in bloom all over the country."

After World War I, Memorial Day was adapted to honor all Americans who had died in wartime. In 1971, Congress declared it a national holiday.

Here are some ceremonies planned on Monday in the First District. 

• Community leaders and Veterans will remember our fallen military service men and women during a special ceremony at Apple Valley’s Civic Center Park. Town staff will adorn the amphitheater hill with U.S. flags. Community members are invited to write a message on a ribbon and tie it to a flag. The event will be held from 8 a.m. until noon. For more information, please call (760) 240-7880.
• The Spring Valley Lake Veterans Club will present its annual ceremony and 5K/10K Run beginning at 9 a.m. Monday. The event will take place at the Spring Valley Lake Veterans Monument, located at 13156 Spring Valley Parkway in Victorville.
• Join local Veterans, active duty members, friends and families at the Wrightwood Veterans’ Park for a Memorial Day program that will include presentations, speeches, and live music. The event will take place at 11 a.m. on Evergreen Street (between Park and Pine) in Wrightwood.
• Local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Posts are also planning events. For more details, contact Tri-Community VFW in Phelan at (760) 868-1999, VFW in Hesperia at (760) 244-4296, VFW in Boron at (760) 762-6313, VFW in Ridgecrest at (760) 375-4084, and VFW in Barstow at (760) 253-2610.