Today marks the annual recognition of the monumental price paid for our liberty. The holiday is not just the end of a long weekend. It should be the renewal of fresh patriotic appreciation for the nearly 700,000 warriors who died in combat from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror. Their Country called, and they sacrificed their dreams and lives to secure freedom. 

Consider the heroes of D-Day, whose seventy-seventh anniversary we will commemorate in seven days. On the shores of Normandy, 6,603 Americans were killed, wounded, or missing in action. From D-Day until August 21, when Paris was liberated, 72,911 Allied service members were killed or missing, and 153,475 were wounded.  The most staggering statistic from that day – 85% of the assembled soldiers to storm the beaches of France had never seen combat, and the average age of each soldier was twenty-one.  

The youngest, least experienced soldiers fought the most consequential battle of World War Two. For a cause greater than themselves, these soldiers gave their tomorrows for our today.  Gold-star families grieved at the severe pruning of hope for another branch on the family tree. Their loss intensified by the vacant seat at family gatherings symbolizing the shadow of sweet memories of the past and a dark void in the future. 

On this Memorial Day, we recollect what it means to be a hero.  With profound courage in their souls, these warriors gave everything for the soldiers next to them and the people they left at home.  It is fitting to express solemn gratitude for those who did not get a joyful homecoming on this side of eternity. 

No, this is not just the end of another three-day weekend; today, we are committed to honoring the ultimate sacrifice of those who paid for our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness by giving up theirs. 

2019 National Memorial Day Concert
D-Day Commemoration