Memorial Day has always been a day of family and celebration for Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris.

Harris’ grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel John Mulzac, served in the United States Army Air Force during WWII as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. The 28-year-old forward had grown up looking up to Mulzac for the man he was to his family and loved ones and that respect only deepened as Harris learned more about the sacrifices made by his grandfather and the 993 other pilots who became the first African American aviators in the history of the U.S. armed forces.

“The biggest thing I learned from him was humility,” Harris said. “He was someone who always cared about the next person, always understanding, and always wanted to see others be great at what they wanted to do.”

Ahead of Memorial Day, Harris is partnering with USAA to help encourage Americans to pay their respect to fallen military members by offering a digital red poppy through PoppyInMemory.com. Americans can also learn about the lives lost in military conflicts since World War I.

Since World War I, the red poppy flower has been a symbol of remembrance for the ultimate sacrifice made by more than 645,000 serviceman and servicewoman.

One of Harris’s most treasured memories with Mulzac was on June 23, 2011. Harris was drafted 19th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats before a draft-night trade sent him to the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I remember the conversation I had with him that night,” Harris said. “He was crying and basically telling me that he was so proud of me because of the way I was able to get to such a special moment in my life. He saw me from the time I was a young kid, how I conducted myself, and seen how I was with my family. That’s one of the most special moments of my life and I’ll never forget that.”

The 76ers currently lead their first-round series against the Washington Wizards 2-0 with Game Three on Saturday in Washington. Harris leads Philadelphia in points (28), tied for second in rebounds (7.5) on 61 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from 3-point land.

With this year appearing to be one of the most wide open yet, the 76ers are in the hunt for the franchise’s first title since 1983. Now in his third season with the team, Harris feels this team is built to win it with Doc Rivers at the helm, the changes made to roster and his chemistry with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

“From a team aspect, it’s just been a higher level of focus throughout the year,” Harris said on what’s different this season. “For me personally, it’s just been about simplifying the game; quick decisions, being able to be a player on the floor that can thrive off of different situations. Going into the season, my mentality was I want to do anything to win . With this team, a championship coach, it’s been a win-win.”