President Kennedy once said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” Thankfully, our Navy has always been blessed to have strong men and women with exceptional courage who are willing to serve and stand in the gap to defend America whenever our liberty is in jeopardy.
Memorial Day is a special day for all Americans. It is where we, as a nation, as a military, and as a Navy, honor and remember those who gave their lives so that we might live in freedom.
We remember the courage of sailors like Hospital Apprentice First Class Fred Lester, who gave his life 75 years ago to save the Marines under his charge. During a harrowing firefight on the island of Okinawa, Lester crawled across exposed terrain to pull a wounded Marine to safety. Despite sustaining fatal gunshot wounds in the process, he calmly continued to render aide to wounded Marines until he succumbed to his injuries.
NEWT GINGRICH: ON MEMORIAL DAY, WE HAVE A DUTY TO HONOR AMERICANS WHO DIED DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY
We also remember the tenacity and grit of sailors like Chief Shannon Kent. As a cryptologist, she worked off the grid to protect our freedom after 9/11. Kent deployed alongside our special forces countless times on dangerous missions in the Middle East. A quiet professional, she silently broke barriers for women, proving time and again that nothing could limit one’s service. She was no doubt a warrior.
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While most of us cannot understand the grief of families that have lost loved ones defending our nation on the frontline, our hearts should break for them.
Since the American Revolution, more than 43,000 sailors and one million service members have given their lives in service to this country. And across the United States this Memorial Day weekend, we pay homage to America’s finest men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
These individuals came from every state and territory. They represented every race, creed and religion in our country. They joined the U.S. military at different times and for different reasons. But all became part of something larger than themselves.
Remember those who answered the call of their nation, led a life of consequence and took action to support a cause far greater than oneself.
Those sailors, Marines, soldiers, airmen, and Coast Guardsmen did not wear the cloth of the nation for accolades. They did it because they chose to answer their nation’s call - no matter the cost.
As we celebrate Memorial Day this year, I encourage you to remember those who carried our freedoms on their shoulders.
Remember those who answered the call of their nation, led a life of consequence and took action to support a cause far greater than oneself.
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Remember those men and women who ran into harm’s way and paid the ultimate price.
While we have sailed in heavy seas before, by drawing on the memory of those that have gone before us, we can and will do it again.
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