Since April 19, 1775, how many hundreds of thousands of men and women have been willing to fight and die so that I could awaken at dawn to the sound of birds singing instead of the sound of bombs exploding; to the light outside of my window coming from the rising sun, not mortar flash; for the cadence I will hear today coming from the soldiers in the Memorial Day parade, not from any troops threatening my home and family; to a flag, our flag, flying freely because they fought and died that it would be so. The ghosts and spirit of the legion of soldiers and sailors, airmen and marines, who have protected us throughout our American history, walk with us and stand guard over the principles for which they were willing to give their lives and look to us to carry on in their absence. While there is no glory in death, there is honor in their service. We remember them and humbly thank them for their sacrifice on our behalf.
