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Memorial Day is not just another day off work filled with family get-togethers, pool parties with the kids, and backyard barbecues. On May 30, 2022, Americans across the country will reunite to mourn and remember the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, with many volunteers placing an American flag on graves of military personnel in national cemeteries. It’s such a special occasion for everyone to reflect on their own responsibilities as citizens.
Since Memorial Day is a somber event, wishing someone a “Happy Memorial Day” may not always be the best idea. What should you say instead? These Memorial Day quotes and phrases about freedom honor those who never got back home. There are gratitude messages that you can read together with the parents or loved ones of a serviceperson who suffered such a loss or simply share them with your dear ones to keep the thought alive and celebrate the heroes who did so much for their country.
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#1
“I love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” — James Baldwin
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#2
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” - Plato
#3
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” - Martin Luther King Jr
#4
“Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better, whereas enslavement is a certainty of the worst.” — Albert Camus
#5
“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” — Nelson Mandela
#6
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” - Winston Churchill
#7
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” - Mark Twain
#8
“I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free... so other people would be also free.” — Rosa Parks
#9
“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” — Bob Dylan
#10
"We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us." - Winston S. Churchill
#11
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell
#12
"Most have been forgotten. Most deserve to be forgotten. The heroes will always be remembered. The best." - George R.R. Martin
#13
“It's better to fight for something in life than to die for nothing.” - Gen. George S. Patton
#14
“Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.” - Barack Obama
#15
“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” - Norman Schwarzkopf
#16
“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.”- Charles de Gaulle
#17
“To find yourself, think for yourself.” — Socrates
#19
“This is the day we pay homage to all those who didn’t come home. This is not Veterans Day, it’s not a celebration, it is a day of solemn contemplation over the cost of freedom.” - Tamra Bolton
#21
“…And if words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice.” - Ronald Reagan
#22
“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”
#23
“Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same cause—honor to him, less only than to him, who braves, for the common good, the storms of heaven and the storms of battle.” — Abraham Lincoln
Lady of the Mountains 2 years ago
Didn't this guy only have about a third grade education? What great writing!
#24
“I had reasoned this out in my mind: There was one of two things I had a right to — liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would have the other.” — Harriet Tubman
#25
“Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.” — Albert Einstein
#27
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” – John F. Kennedy
#28
“We are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free.” — President Ronald Reagan
#29
"My country owes me nothing. It gave me, as it gives every boy and girl, a chance. It gave me schooling, independence of action, the opportunity for service and honor." - Herbert Hoover
#30
“The legacy of heroes — the memory of a great name, and the inheritance of a great example.” - Benjamin Disraeli
#32
“As we set today aside to honor and thank our veterans, let us be mindful that we should do this every day of the year and not just one.” - Beth Pennington
#34
“And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier's tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” - Joseph Rodman Drake
#36
“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” - Elmer Davis
#37
“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
#38
“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
#39
“Veterans are a symbol of what makes our nation great, and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom.” - Rodney Frelinghuysen
#40
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” - Joseph Campbell
#46
“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” — Aristotle
#47
“Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no future.” — Elie Wiesel
#48
“While the nature of war has changed... the values that drive our brave men and women in uniform remain constant: honor, courage, selflessness.” — Barack Obama
#50
“Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.” — Pericles
#51
“Freedom is secured every day by our men and women in uniform. We must build a future worthy of their sacrifice.” — Nancy Pelosi
#53
“The highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” – George S. Patton, Jr.
#59
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” – Billy Graham
#60
“Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring veterans, it’s honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that’s a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It’s a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it.” — Pete Hegseth
#61
“Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They’re just braver 5 minutes longer.“ - Ronald Reagan
#62
“In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.“ - Barack Obama
#63
“That’s what any committed patriot would do: Fight to the last. Defeat your enemy at any cost; then hope you have enough left to rebuild.“ - Randolph D. Calverhall
#65
“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.” - Lee Greenwood
#66
“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.” - William J. Clinton
#67
"Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future." - Elie Wiesel
#68
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.” - G.K. Chesterton
#69
“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.” - Sun Tzu
#70
“Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.” - Gen. Douglas MacArthur
#71
“Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well.” - Jennifer M. Granholm
#72
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he is vigilant in its preservation.” - Gen. Douglas MacArthur
#73
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived.” - George S. Patton
#74
“The brave die never, though they sleep in the dust, their courage nerves a thousand living men.” - Minot J. Savage
#75
“To those in uniform serving today and to those who have served in the past, we honor you today and every day.”
#76
“Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no future.”- Elie Wisel
#78
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” - Ronald Reagan
#79
“A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.” — Frederick Douglas
#81
“On this day, take time to remember those who have fallen. But on every day after, do more; put the freedoms they died for to greater and nobler uses.” —Richelle E. Goodrich
#82
“Heroes never die. They live on forever in the hearts and minds of those who would follow in their footsteps.” – Emily Potter
#83
“I can do everything in my power to live a life that's worthy of what it took in order to make it possible to be here at home.” — Pete Buttigieg
#84
“By recognizing and thanking our local veterans, we are reminding them that their selfless service does not go unnoticed.” — Abigail Spanberger
#85
“Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines and their families, this Nation, along with our allies around the world, would not stand so boldly, shine so brightly and live so freely.” — Lane Evans
#86
“We became a great nation also because every time our beliefs and ideals have been threatened, Americans have stepped forward to defend them.” — Bill Clinton
#87
“Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.” — Daniel Boorstin, twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress
#88
“I believe in America… because we have great dreams and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true.” — Wendell Willkie
#89
“No arsenal, or no weapons in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” – Ronald Reagan
#92
“The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children.” – William Harvard
#95
“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For the love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” — James A. Garfield
#96
"We cherish too, the Poppy red that grows on fields where valor led, it seems to signal to the skies that blood of heroes never dies." - Moina Michael
#97
"Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches, or its romance." - Theodore Roosevelt
#98
"My own heroes are the dreamers, those men, and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones. Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results… but it is the effort that’s heroic, as I see it. Win or lose, I admire those who fight the good fight." - George R.R. Martin
#99
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes.” - Maya Angelou
#100
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” - John F. Kennedy
#102
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” - Harry S. Truman
#103
“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.” - Helen Keller
#104
“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” - Adlai Stevenson II
#105
“Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” - Theodore Roosevelt
#106
“Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours.” - Wallace Bruce
#107
“Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.” - Mary Roach
#109
“I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.” - John Thune
#110
“The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” - Jeff Miller
#112
“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” - John F. Kennedy
#115
“We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.” — Theodore Roosevelt
#116
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” — Arthur Ashe
#117
“On Memorial Day, we honor those that have fought for the American concept. Men and women that have sacrificed so much in order to defend the ideals that have made us a great nation.” — Kamala Harris
#118
“Without heroes, we're all plain people, and don't know how far we can go.” — Bernard Malamud
#119
“While we can never fully repay the debt owed to those who lost their lives defending our nation, we must do everything we can to uphold our commitment to those who've worn the uniform of this great nation and to their families who have made significant sacrifices on our behalf.” — Tammy Duckworth
#120
"On this day of remembrance, we once again renew our pledge: that just as the military leaves no one behind on the battlefield, we must leave no veteran behind when they come home." — Nancy Pelosi
#122
“With courage and character, American soldiers continue to put themselves on the line to defend our freedom, and so many have paid the ultimate sacrifice.” — Dan Lipinski
#123
“America’s fighting men and women sacrifice much to ensure that our great nation stays free. We owe a debt of gratitude to the soldiers that have paid the ultimate price for this cause, as well as for those who are blessed enough to return from the battlefield unscathed.” — Allen Boyd
#124
“Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.” — President Herbert Hoover
#127
“On thy grave, the rain shall fall from the eyes of a mighty nation!” – Thomas William Parsons
#128
“They fell, but o’er their glorious grave. Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.” – Francis Marion Crawford
#129
“They are dead, but they live in each Patriot’s breast, And their names are engraved on honor’s bright crest.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
#130
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” —the New Testament of the Bible (John 15:13)
#131
“As America celebrates Memorial Day, we pay tribute to those who have given their lives in our nation’s wars.” – John M. McHugh, United States Representative
#132
"Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause." - Abraham Lincoln
#133
"Finally, I wish to remember the millions of Allied servicemen and prisoners of war who lived the story of the Second World War. Many of these men never came home; many others returned bearing emotional and physical scars that would stay with them for the rest of their lives. I come away from this book with the deepest appreciation for what these men endured, and what they sacrificed, for the good of humanity." - Laura Hillenbrand
#134
"Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost." - Robert A. Heinlein
#135
"Tonight, when you go to bed, say a prayer that God watch over those who watch over us and thank them for their sacrifices, on and off the battlefield. Pray that they have a peaceful night, and will be home soon with their families who also share their burden. Without them, we would not have this moment." - Neil Leckman
#136
"Have you ever stopped to ponder the amount of blood spilled, the volume of tears shed, the degree of pain and anguish endured, the number of noble men and women lost in battle so that we as individuals might have a say in governing our country? Honor the lives sacrificed for your freedoms." - Richelle E. Goodrich
#137
“Do not forget that the armed forces are the servants of the people. You do not make national policy; it is we, the civilians, who decide these issues and it is your duty to carry out these tasks with which you are entrusted.” - M. A. Jinnah
#138
"The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." - Abraham Lincoln
#139
"This country has not seen and probably will never know the true level of sacrifice of our veterans. As a civilian, I owe an unpayable debt to all our military. […] Let’s all take a remembrance for all veterans who served or are serving, peacetime or wartime and gone or still with us." - Thomas M Smith
#140
"The events of that day would forever be remembered, and they stood together as a united Marridon, a nation that would lead in innovation and liberality, taking up the thread that had been left for them, the essence of selfless love woven along a national loom." - Michelle Franklin
#141
"It is a proud privilege to be a soldier – a good soldier… [with]discipline, self-respect, pride in his unit and his country, a high sense of duty and obligation to comrades and to his superiors, and a self-confidence born of demonstrated ability." - George S. Patton Jr.
#142
"Soldiers themselves are reluctant to evaluate the costs of war, but someone must. That evaluation, ongoing and unadulterated by politics, may be the one thing a country absolutely owes the soldiers who defend its borders." - Sebastian Junger
#143
“The veterans of our military services have put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we enjoy. They have dedicated their lives to their country and deserve to be recognized for their commitment.” - Judd Gregg
#144
“For the love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” - James A. Garfield
#145
“I love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” — James Baldwin
#146
“Sometimes, courage is nothing more than a willingness to think differently than those around you. In a culture of conformity, that’s braver than it sounds.” — Mary Roach
#147
“Our democracy must be not only the envy of the world but the engine of our own renewal. There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” — President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural address
#149
“Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave.” – Frank Herbert
#150
"I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit." - Theodore Roosevelt
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