05.29.06

Celebrating Memorial Day

"This Memorial Day weekend, millions of Americans traveled, relaxed, and spent time with their friends and families. We also considered the sacrifices of so many who made those freedoms possible. We honor the men and women who have given our nation so much, serving, fighting and dying to defend our freedom and protect our liberty. On Memorial Day, we celebrate that devotion by remembering their stories. I remember my own father. He volunteered to serve in the Air Force during World War II, and flew missions over Europe.

"I remember the soldiers I met when visiting the war torn battlefields of Iraq. I think of those who must come home to Walter Reed Medical Center, critically injured and forever changed. And I think of our service members’ families who struggle as their beloved children, siblings, or spouses go off to war. American soldiers continue to put their lives on the line today, fighting, enduring, and standing strong in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and across the globe. I am eternally grateful for the resolve of those who have chosen to selflessly follow this noble and dangerous path.

"Today I celebrate the service of America’s military personnel and remember those who have given their lives in the line of duty. We do so on this day, and every day. Their sacrifice is immense and our gratitude is profound."

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