Memorial Day 2013

Memorial Day is more than just a well-earned

Three-day weekend…

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2012 Image from Arlington National Cemetery Face Book Page

Memorial Day Message

As Written by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

Monday, May 27, 2013

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Today is a day for all Americans to gather with friends and family in communities across the country to enjoy each other’s company, and honor those generations of patriots who have fought and died in uniform to preserve the freedoms we all cherish. We also grieve with those families who lost loved ones too soon – parents, wives, husbands, sons, and daughters for whom Memorial Day will always be a time of solemn remembrance. The perseverance and resilience of our military families is the bedrock of our military strength.

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Over more than a decade of sustained war, the United States has been blessed to have millions of men and women step forward to serve, to risk their lives and stand watch in every corner of the world to defend our nation. Today we remember the more than 6,600 men and women in uniform who have perished on distant battlefields since September 11th, 2001.

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The men and women that serve today are as humble, patriotic, and selfless as any generation that has come before them. Many have deployed on multiple tours – active duty, guardsmen, and reservists – all citizens doing their part for the country they love. They continue to make enormous sacrifices, along with their families. We owe them and their families our most heartfelt thanks and constant support, for they have added another chapter to our nation’s book of honor.

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Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment or ‘The Old Guard’, place American flags at every grave in Arlington National Cemetery, May 23, 2013, in remembrance of those who died in service to our country. The tradition dates back more than 60 years.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jose A. Torres Jr

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Take a moment this Memorial Day to honor all of those that gave their all in the service of this great country of ours.
God Bless Them All.

AubreyJ.........

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Hope everyone has had a safe Memorial Day/Weekend