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MEMORIAL DAY - HONORING AMERICAN HEROES OF COURAGE, SACRIFICE, & FAITH

Charles Michael Province, U.S. Army wrote the following poem:

"It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, 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 freedom to protest. 

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial. 

It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote. 

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag." 

"Congress finds that...it is essential to remember and renew the legacy of Memorial Day...to pay tribute to individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States. 

Greater strides must be made to demonstrate appreciation for those loyal people...whose values, represented by their sacrifices, are critical to the future of the United States and to encourage citizens to dedicate themselves to the... principles for which those heroes of the United States died...

A symbolic act of unity...to honor the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace...as a day of prayer for permanent peace."

Memorial Day grew to honor all who gave their lives defending America's freedom in every war, including: 

Revolutionary War (1775-1783) 25,000; 

Barbary Wars (1801- 1805; 1815) 45; 

War of 1812 (1812- 1814) 20,000; 

Mexican-American War (1846-1848) 13,283; 

Civil War (1861-1865) 625,000; 

Spanish-American War (1898) 2,446; 

World War 1 (1917-1918) 116,516; 

World War 2 (1941-1945) 405,399; 

Korean War (1950-1953) 36,516; 

Vietnam War (1955-1975) 58,209; 

Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) 258; 

Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2001-2014) 2,356; 

Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2012) 4,489; and 

ongoing wars against Islamic terrorism.

"However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind."

Reference

Federer, W. J. (2021). Memorial Day. American Minute.

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