The National Moment of Remembrance begins at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.
The observance asks Americans to pause for one minute to remember people who died while serving in the U.S. military. Congress created the National Moment of Remembrance in 2000, following a campaign led by the White House Commission on Remembrance.
The chosen time is 3 p.m. local time, not a single nationwide moment coordinated across time zones. That means the pause begins at different actual moments around the world as each U.S. time zone reaches 3 p.m.
This observance is distinct from the traditional Memorial Day flag protocol, which includes flying the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon and then raising it to the top of the staff. Both customs are intended to create a national act of remembrance.