This year Memorial Day was Monday, May 29th. It is far more than a day off from work. It is a time when we remember those men and women in our military who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We are a free people in the United States today because people fought and died on our behalf.
I want to share some quotes I found of people’s reflections as we observe Memorial Day.
Maya Angelou – “How important it is to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes.”
Lee Greenwood – “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I am free. And I won’t forget the men (women) who died and gave me that right.”
Tamara Bolton – “This is the day we pay homage to all those who didn’t come home. This is not Veterans Day, it is not a celebration, it is a day of solemn contemplation over the cost of freedom.”
G. K. Chesterton – “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live, taking the form of a readiness to die.”
John F. Kennedy – “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”
Sgt. Major Bill Paxton – “May we never forget our fallen comrades. Freedom isn’t free.”
Ronald Reagan – “And if words cannot repay the debt, we owe these men (women), surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and final sacrifice.”
Jennifer M. Granholm – “Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops and once-a-year memorial ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well.”
Abraham Lincoln – “Honor the soldier, and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also, the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same causes honor to him, less only to him, who braves for the common good, the storms of heaven, and the storms of battle.”
Thomas Campbell – “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”
Wallace Bruce – “We kept the faith and fought the fight; the glory theirs, the duty ours.”
Senator John Thune – “I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it is marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”
I hope you will read and re-read these quotes and reflect on them.
We owe so much to those who paid the ultimate price.
Pastor Leonard
