Memorable words for Memorial Day

May 24 2017: Gettysburg National Cemetery battlefield park

This is the first Memorial Day day without my grandfather. He passed away in March at the age of 98. To be honest, I’m lucky to even exist. My grandfather joined the Navy in July 1942 and was a First-Class Radio Operator during WWII. He received a purple heart for wounds sustained when a Japanese kamikaze plane sunk his ship off the coast of the Philippines on December 21, 1944. All of his shipmates weren’t as lucky. Over the years, he loved going to his ship reunions and each year the number of attendees got smaller and smaller. He was the last living sailor from the LST 460.

This year, I’ll raise a glass to him and all of the other US Servicemembers who came before and after him, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. In honor of all of those who gave their lives in service of this country, here are some quotes we should all reflect on this Memorial Day…

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.”

Eleanor Roosevelt – “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”

Gen. George S. Patton – “It’s better to fight for something in life than to die for nothing.”

Winston Churchill – “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Gen. Douglas MacArthur – “Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.”

Bob Dylan -“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.”

Lee Greenwood – “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.”