Memorial Day occurs every year on the final Monday of May. It is observed silently and from 2013 it is no longer a public holiday. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service.

Palau does not maintain its own military forces, but under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, Palauan citizens are eligible to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. And they do. Palauan citizens volunteer in the U.S. military at a rate higher than in any individual U.S. state. Approximately 200 Palauan men and women serve in the U.S. military today, out of a population of about 14,000.

Since 9/11, seven Palauans lost their lives in combat.