U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Melissa V. Brownstein
Barack Obama Forty-Fourth President
(2009 to 2017)
Remarks On Memorial Day 2010
Andrews Air Force Base
-
May 31, 2010
The text of the address is below
the video.
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. First of all, I want to just say
thank you to Colonel Steve Shepro who's just done such great work
for us and for me over the last several months, several years. I
know he's about to be transferred, and I just to want to say to him
and Helen and Jack how much we appreciate everything that they do.
To Major General Darrell Jones, our commander as -- of Air Force
District of Washington, as well as Holly and Stuart, and to all of
you, and all the men, women and families of the Joint Base at
Andrews, good evening. It is wonderful to see all of you on this
solemn and special day. In the life of our nation, there are few
more sacred places than our national cemeteries -- around the world,
at Arlington and our national cemeteries across the country.
As some of you know, earlier today, I was honored to join the
Memorial Day ceremony at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in
Elwood, Illinois. Unfortunately, some extraordinary storms moved in,
and for the safety of all involved, the ceremony was cancelled. But
while the storm was raging outside, I was fortunate to meet with
some of the families, friends and veterans who had come to honor
loved ones who had given their lives in service of this nation.
Later, I was privileged to visit with families of our wounded
warriors as they battle to recover from the wounds of war. And I
want to stop by here because I fly in all the time but sometimes
don't get a chance to meet so many of you individually, to say thank
you for your service, and recognize that long chain of valor and
service that you are a part of.
The families that I met with know in their hearts what every
American must never forget. At its core, the nobility and the
majesty of Memorial Day can be found in the story of ordinary
Americans who become extraordinary for the most simple of reasons:
They loved their country so deeply, so profoundly, that they were
willing to give their lives to keep it safe and free.
In another time, they might have led a life of comfort and ease. But
a revolution needed to be won. Or a Union needed to be preserved. Or
our harbor was bombed. Or our country was attacked on clear
September morning.
So they answered their country's call. They stepped forward. They
raised their hand. They took an oath, just as all of you did. And
they earned a title that would define them for the rest of their
lives. A soldier. A sailor. An airman. A Marine. A Coast Guardsman.
In the letters that they wrote home they spoke of the horrors of war
and the bravery it summoned -- how they endured the slaughter of the
trenches and the chaos of beach landings, the bitter cold of a
Korean winter or the endless heat of a Vietnam jungle.
Today, we can imagine what it must have been like, for all those
they fought to save, when American forces finally came into view. A
country was liberated. A Holocaust was over. A town was rid of
insurgents. A village was finally free from the terror of violent
extremists.
But had you asked any troop -- any of those troops in the past, they
would have likely told you the same thing. Yes, we fought for
freedom. Yes, we fought for that flag. But most of all, we fought
for each other -- to bring our buddies home; to keep our families
safe. And that's what they did, to their last breath.
This is what we honor today -- the lives they led, the service they
rendered, the sacrifice that they've made for us. In this time of
war, we pay special tribute to the thousands of Americans who have
given their lives during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who
have earned their place among the greatest of generations. And
though our heart aches in their absence, we find comfort in knowing
that their legacy shines bright on the people they loved --
America's Gold Star families.
Their legacy lives on in the pride of their parents, like the mother
who wrote to me about her son, Specialist Stephan Mace, who gave his
life in Afghanistan. She told me, “I just want you to know what kind
of hero he was.” To all those moms and dads, you instilled in your
sons and daughters the values and virtues that led them to service.
And to you, every American here, every American around the country,
owes a debt of profound gratitude.
Their legacy lives on in the love of their spouses -- the wives and
husbands who gave to our nation the person they cherished most in
the world. To all those spouses, you have sacrificed in ways most
Americans can't even begin to imagine, but as you summon the
strength to carry on each day, know that you're not alone, and that
America will always be at your side.
Their legacy lives on in their beautiful children. To all those sons
and daughters, we say as one nation: Your moms and dads gave their
lives so you could live yours. America will be there for you as
well, as you grow into the men and women your parents knew you could
be.
Their legacy lives on in those who fought alongside them -—our
veterans who came home, you, our troops, who are still in harm's
way. Just as you keep alive the memory of your fallen friends,
America must keep its commitment to you. And that means providing
the support to our troops and families when they need it, and the
health care and benefits that our veterans deserve. This is our
sacred trust to all who serve, and upholding that trust is a moral
obligation.
And finally, on this day of remembrance, I say to every American the
legacy of these fallen soldiers, these fallen heroes, lives on in
each of us. The security that lets us live in peace, the prosperity
that allows us to pursue our dreams, the freedom that we cherish --
these were earned by the blood and the sacrifice of patriots who
went before. And now it falls on us to preserve that inheritance for
all who follow.
They proclaimed our unalienable rights, so let us speak out for the
dignity of every human being and the rights that are universal. They
saved the Union, so let us never stop working to perfect it. They
defeated fascism and laid the foundation for decades of prosperity,
so let us renew the sources of American strength and innovation at
home. They forged alliances that won a long Cold War, so let us
build the partnership for a just and lasting peace.
And today, our forces are fighting and dying once more, in faraway
lands, to keep our homeland safe. Some of you have come from
overseas deployments, some of you are about to go. Let us make sure
that all of us are worthy of your sacrifice and of the sacrifices
who have fallen. Let us go forward as they do, with the confidence
and the resolve, the resilience and the unity that's always defined
us as a people, and shaped us as a nation and made America a beacon
of hope to the world.
So may God bless our fallen heroes. May He comfort their families.
May God bless all of you, and may God bless the United States of
America. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.)
