Increasingly, I instruct on the importance of gratitude in leadership and in life. We abound in blessings. And even in a politically-divided America, just being able to live in this nation is to be blessed. Even for the nation’s most vocal critics, they cannot deny that America remains the world’s most-desired destination location. As this Memorial Day and weekend comes to an end, I hope to spark within each of us a desire to embrace gratitude and an understanding that there is more to this day than the approach of another summer. Secondly, I hope to encourage us all to do more than just remember. So, as you read this message the day after Memorial Day 2026 (or later), I urge you to hold firm to the intended meaning of this day.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Memorial Day
“That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.” – Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Edmund B. Whitman, 1868
Whitman served in another time of great political divide in America, the Civil War. Following the war he served as the Superintendent of National Cemeteries, and according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, he oversaw the reinternment of more than 114,500 fallen soldiers. He created the foundations for America’s national cemeteries.
The obligation to remember the fallen soldier dates back to at least the Roman Empire. In 44 B.C., the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero observed “the life of the dead is set in the memory of the living.”
Following the American Civil War, commanding General John A. Logan issued General Order 11, directing that 30 May 1868 would be a day “designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country.” The general added, these acts of respect were to occur each year thereafter.
Excited Anticipation
With the approach of summer, it is not uncommon for many Americans to have a sense of excited anticipation. The warmer weather, and the end of the school year, bring with them greater opportunities for families and friends to gather, fire up the grill, and enjoy life. But there it is. The very point of Memorial Day. This day and this weekend has far greater significance than the start of a new season.
Those who take up arms in defense of our nation have always done so to advance the cause of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Enjoy the warmth of another summer. But, for the fallen American soldier, those days of summer are no longer possible. And for their orphan and widow all future gatherings are different than they would have been. In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, the obligation to carry on the work of liberty falls to “us the living.” Pray a prayer of gratitude and peace for the fallen and their families.
A Presidential and National Memorial Day Duty
Tradition holds that each Memorial Day, the President of the United States goes to Arlington National Cemetery to pay respect to the fallen, on behalf of a grateful nation. The duty to be truly grateful rests with every American. The president lays a memorial wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and in the adjoining amphitheater he provides an address to the nation.
In keeping with the tradition, again this year President Donald J. Trump traveled to Arlington to perform his solemn duty. In his remarks, he expressed gratitude, told the stories of several fallen national heroes, and he paid homage to the nation’s Gold Star Families. The President stated to the families: “To every person here and across America who holds tight to the memory of a warrior taken from them, we will never, ever forget the ones you loved.”
Understanding the Day
Among the fallen that President Trump highlighted were Caleb Harrington and his cousin Jonathan Harrington. They were among the eight militiamen killed on Lexington Green on April 19, 1775. The President noted that Memorial Day comes before Independence Day. His remarks provided a key moment of clarity.
“Less than six weeks from now, our nation will reach a historic milestone — 250 years of majestic American independence — something. But it’s only right that first we remember the immense sacrifice that has been brought to us in this momentous anniversary year. That’s what it is. It’s a momentous year. Before we hail the founding, we honor the fallen.
He added: Before we celebrate the triumph, we pay the tribute. Before we crown the victory, we count the cost. Today, we are reminded that there could be no Fourth of July without America’s Armed Forces, and there could be no Independence Day without Memorial Day. We owe our liberty, our self-government, the glories of our history, and our very nation itself, to the generations who paid for it with everything they had. The ultimate sacrifice.”
Be Grateful and For More Than a Day
When someone willingly gives all that he has, and all that he will ever have, gratitude from the beneficiary should follow. It is a gift firmly in keeping with scripture. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends“ (John 15:13, ESV).
On 19 November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the military cemetery then being established in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Just four months earlier, those fields were the site of the war’s bloodiest battle. His address there was brief, and yet it stands as among the greatest examples of American prose every written. In his closing he sought to strengthen the resolve of his fellow citizens:
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.“
As we enjoy the warmth of a new summer, let us all unite as Americans in defense of our national ideals. Let us highly resolve to rise to the challenge so eloquently expressed by President Lincoln. His words remain as true today as when they were first spoken in 1863.
God bless our fallen, and their families. God bless America, and help us to be truly grateful.
We are interested in your thoughts, and invite you to comment below.
Well said as always Tom. We will always be grateful to those who sacrificed to protect our nation and our way of life. God bless them and their families.
Amen Sir.