As we take this Monday off to enjoy the first long weekend after the retreat of winter, we should remember why it's called Memorial Day.
The following quote is from a speech made by James A. Garfield, an Ohio Congressman and future President of the United States, on the very first Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) at Arlington Cemetery on May 30, 1868:
"We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue."
May they be forever remembered for their bravery and sacrifice on behalf of this great nation, and indeed for their spreading freedom and lifting the veil of darkness that without their sacrifice would have descended and enveloped the world.
2 comments:
Thank you for remembering.
Indeed! Let us never forget.
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