Next week we will honor the men and women who gave their lives in defense of our great country. In the photograph above, older family members representing three branches of the armed services, take a moment to pose with my dad, age four. The year was 1944, and many families had loved ones fighting in the war. No doubt, some of you have similar pictures in your own collection of old family photographs.
From the founding of our nation to the present day, these brave Americans have embraced the hard job of maintaining our liberty. In the face of tyrants, dictators and evil empires, our men and women in uniform have consistently showed courage, strength and a willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep our country safe.
In his 1981 Memorial Day proclamation, President Ronald Reagan reminded us why we pay tribute to these brave heroes.
Today, the United States stands as a beacon of liberty and democratic strength before the community of nations. We are resolved to stand firm against those who would destroy the freedoms we cherish. We are determined to achieve an enduring peace — a peace with liberty and with honor. This determination, this resolve, is the highest tribute we can pay to the many who have fallen in the service of our Nation. –Ronald Reagan, Memorial Day, May 25, 1981
The members of our military have always understood the cost of freedom, and so with steadfast determination they bear the burden of our protection. And while we remember that fact today and next week, we should make more of an effort to remember it every day.
May God bless all of our troops and their families, and may he continue to bless the United States of America.
On the journey toward Home,
