Memorial Day is a special solemn occasion that was established following the Civil War. It was meant to honor those who had fallen in service to their country and help to heal some of the deep wounds of our nation’s. I had the honor of being asked to deliver an address at this year’s celebration in Hampden. It began with a parade from the Whitcomb-Baker VFW Post to the Locust Grove Cemetery across from the Reeds Brook Middle School. The parade included many community groups; Scouts, Little Leaguers, The Hampden Academy Band, ATA Martial Arts and a number of veterans from our community. After arriving at the cemetery a special service was held with readings by students, and members of the VFW. They presented flags and memorial bouquets each with a simple but, dignified purpose of paying tribute to those who had rendered service to our country. It is a special and at times moving event especially when carried out by those who have previously served our nation. I have included below a copy of my remarks and also a brief description of the evolution of Memorial Day. I truly appreciate being asked to participate in this special day.

Remarks at Hampden Memorial Day, May 31, 2010

 Thank you all for being here today. I am honored to say a few words as we pay our respects to those Americans who have given their lives in service to our country. We can never repay them for making the supreme sacrifice, but we can remember and salute them for keeping our nation the land of the free.

 For a long time, Memorial Day seemed at risk of becoming just another day off work, a reason to have a picnic or a barbeque. It meant summer was finally here, the pools were open. But in recent years, there has been a shift in our thinking, a new awareness of the sacrifices our military men and women are making. Part of that shift comes from the shared experience of seeing today’s young men and women fighting in miserable conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Part of it comes from movies like “Saving Private Ryan” and “The Patriot” that have made those sacrifices much more real.

 Regardless of the reason, something has changed about the way Americans now think about those valiant souls who put their lives on the line for us. And this is very much a change for the better. President Kennedy once said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”

 Memorial Day, perhaps more than any other holiday, was born of human necessity. Deep inside all of us lies a fundamental desire to make sense of life and our place in the world. What we have been given, what we will do with it, and what we will pass on to the next generation is all part of an unfolding history, a continuum that links one soul to another.

 Abraham Lincoln pondered these thoughts in the late autumn of 1863. His darkest fear was that he might be the last president of the United States, a nation then in the midst of what he described as “a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” He began his remarks with those words as he stood on the battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19th of that year.

 It was the site of a terrible collision of the armies of the North and the South.

When the battle was over, the Army of the Potomac had suffered 23,049 casualties. The Army of Northern Virginia had suffered 28,000 casualties. With a total of 51,000 casualties, including more than 7,000 men killed in action, the Battle of Gettysburg is the bloodiest single battle in American history. In an area of 25 square miles, the battle was fought with 172,000 men. 

The brief speech that became known as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address turned into what might be called the first observance of Memorial Day. Lincoln’s purpose was to dedicate a portion of the battlefield as a cemetery for the thousands of men who had fallen there.

 Since that time, America’s sons and daughters have been called upon time and again to defend our freedom and our way of life. As we reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day, countless images come to mind. A mother running a finger over her son’s name on the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial. A monument of five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II. The honor guard at Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown, maintaining his silent vigil. The homecoming of today’s young Americans from far-flung battlefields.

These images serve as constant reminders of those who gave their lives to something greater than themselves. The freedoms we enjoy stem from their sacrifices – from the American Revolution to the modern era. Our enemies have learned to their regret about the fighting spirit of free men. Once we Americans have been wronged or attacked in peace, as we were at Pearl Harbor or in the 9-11 terrorist strike, we become warriors. We are a peace-loving people, but when forced to take action, we are dangerous. As the historian Davis Hanson once said, “Thank God we don’t have to fight anyone like ourselves.”

I don’t want to glamorize war. War is a terrible thing for all concerned. The soldier does not want it. The generals do not want it. Those who have seen it up close want it least of all. It robs us of our youth and brings untold suffering to families everywhere it touches.

But it also serves as a sobering reminder that the cost of liberty was not paid in full by our forefathers. The debt remains with us even today, and the costs are heavy. The world has become a hostile place, with violence that seems contrary to every value we hold true. Our enemies today are not a sovereign nation we can negotiate with. They represent an ideology we can scarcely understand. I salute the fine young Americans who have volunteered for military service in the distant places where we encounter this deadly and determined enemy in a war that could last for many years.

At this Memorial Day gathering, we especially want to recognize those who served during World War II. Their generation is now passing from the scene, and we are all the poorer for that loss. It is important that we show our appreciation of their collective sacrifices. Without their strong dedication and perseverance, the cause of freedom, decency and sanity in the world would not have prevailed. We owe them an enormous debt.

Gathering together on this day is one way to show our appreciation and gratitude. But how do we extend that reverence we feel through the other days of the year. And more importantly, how do we instill and deepen the tradition of this special day in the younger generation? How do we ensure that Memorial Day is observed with profound gratitude whether we are at war or not?

First, we must teach others about the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf so that we might continue to enjoy the liberties and freedoms granted in our Constitution. We must help future generations understand that the act of committing yourself to your country and being willing to fight for the freedom of others is among the most noble of endeavors. This is especially important today. In our schools these days, our children are often taught to be ashamed of their country. Their teachers too often focus on the flaws of America, not on its greatness. It is up to us to pass on the ideals of America. President Reagan said it best: “Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same.”

Lest we ever doubt the noble role played by American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, let me quote a short piece written by Army veteran Charles Province, an author and founder of the George S. Patton Historical Society:

“It is the Solder, not the reporter,

Who has given us Freedom of the Press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet,

Who has given us Freedom of Speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer,

Who has given us the Freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,

Who serves the flag, and whose coffin

Is draped by the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”

Thank you very much.

MEMORIAL DAY

By 1865 the practice of decorating soldiers’ graves had become widespread in the North. The first known observance was in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who helped bring attention to the event nationwide, was likely a factor in the holiday’s growth. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic – the organization for Northern Civil War veterans – Logan issued a proclamation that “Decoration Day” should be observed nationwide.