(RALEIGH) -- Americans are marking Memorial Day in different ways, but for those who survived combat, it's a time of reflection. Ed Kline, who grew up in North Carolina, fought the Battle of the Bulge in Europe against German troops.

"We were overwhelmed with the number of troops that were coming through. Some fought their way through, some threw down their weapons and surrendered. I think most of them felt a sense of defeat as the battle began because they knew that it was the last push on their part, the last major offensive," Kline said.

Kline says he fought with many brave soldiers in that battle, and can vividly remember the horrible conditions in France.

Memorial Day began after the Civil War in the South as Declaration Day, when local communities would honor their war dead. After World War I, it was renamed and became a national holiday.

President Bill Clinton, in an effort to restore some of the original meaning to a day marked by picnics and swimming pools, asked in 2000 for a "National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, when all Americans should remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom for all."