In Ecclesiastes, we read that there is “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”
This is a day, this Memorial Day, that brings strong feelings for families across this land. A day that could make the hardest of warriors soft ... the driest of eyes wet ... and forgotten moments of the past vivid, in the present.
While this Memorial Day weekend may be different from those in our recent memories, we shall never be too locked down not to remember those who gave the everything for this nation, for its peoples, its purpose, and its promise.
Consider this letter written long ago: “Quentin died as he had lived and served, nobly and unselfishly; in the full strength and vigor of his youth, fighting the enemy in clean combat. You may well be proud of your gift to the nation in his supreme sacrifice.”
This was written by General Pershing to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1918 about his son’s death. It reminds us that America is filled with free fighting men and women from every walk of life, from sons of sharecroppers, to daughters of doctors, and yes - even children of Presidents who have risen to every occasion - every conflict, every time they were called upon for duty.
It reminds us that just over one hundred years ago, our nation not only faced a great war, but also a pandemic. It reminds us not to stay hunkered down and shell shocked in our homes, for there are still duties, still responsibilities, still life to live.
I am not naïve to the fact that my words today do not hold a candle to the witness or the words that we can no longer hear ...of the valiant men and women who sacrificed it all for our communities. However, we must honor them. Not simply for them, but for us - for the very fabric of our land and for our descendants, generations to come. There is nothing small about the big task it takes to defend freedom, peace, and our way of life.
We shall remember the brave who rest in the hallowed grounds of Arlington cemetery. That sacred place with slightly rolling hills, impeccable grass, and row after row of angelic white stones. One can feel the weighty air and the overwhelming sense of pride and respect as you stand at Section 60 and beyond.
Their lives came to a close at home and abroad, keeping our nation together as one… at Gettysburg, stopping the German advance at Belleau Wood, capturing the island of Iwo Jima, pushing the Chinese back on Pork Chop Hill, in the jungles… halting the Tet offensive, fiercely fighting house to house in Fallujah, and in the mountainous terrain of the Wardak province of Afghanistan.
I take comfort in John’s words: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Indeed, this is the very encapsulation of freedom. What is more free than laying down your life for your friends?
Each ivory stone has a story and is a testament to a hero who has contributed to the rise, the prosperity, and the future of these United States. And the word hero is neither a stretch nor inappropriate. Indeed, how else would you describe one resting soldier who resides there - Audie Murphy - who received every single combat award available from the U.S. Army with valor. At the age of 19, he held off a full company of German soldiers single-handedly for hours, before leading a successful counterattack even though he was wounded and out of ammunition.
But…make no mistake about it, the overwhelming grace of our sacred shrine at Arlington is not the only place where our freedom fighters lie still. For across our lands in modest cemeteries, are some our bravest.
One such grave stone stands at Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, Pennsylvania. On the stone are the simple words: gone but not forgotten. But, below it lay one of our nations toughest heroes. Chief Petty Officer SEAL Neil Roberts died fighting in the Kharwar Mountains of Afghanistan against Al Quaida. Before that fateful day, he left his wife a last letter, to be opened if the worst occurred. This is what he wrote:
"Although I sacrificed personal freedom and many other things, I got just as much as I gave. My time in the Teams was special. For all the times I was cold, wet, tired, sore, scared, hungry and angry, I had a blast.
"I consider myself blessed with the best things a man could ever hope for. My childhood is something I'll always treasure. My family is the reason I'm the person I am today. They supported and cared for me in the best way possible...
"All the times spent in the company of my teammates was when I felt the closest to the men I had the privilege to work with. I loved being a SEAL. If I died doing something for the Teams, then I died doing what made me happy. Very few people have the luxury of that.”
There is no question that in my own life and for many of you here, we are forever changed by those brave souls who left us too soon, some of the best we have... who fought against some of the worst the world has to offer.
There is an emptiness in us that may never be filled. But, in the heartache there is hope. We are better because they have lived. At all times throughout our history ...from the the surf of San Diego, to the mountains of Montana, to the coast of the Carolinas... the valiant have emerged and have run to the fight on our behalf.
Let their death inspire us to live. We must do our part in paying tribute and remembering, for they have given us everything they had. And if God forbid our nation is again met with despair, devastation, or danger...we will respond with their spirit, the spirit of our nation, the spirit of our people and rise to any challenge.
God bless you, God bless your families, and may God bless these United States.
