WASHINGTON — From Arlington National Cemetery outside the nation’s capital to the American burial ground in Normandy, France, presidents customarily commemorate Memorial Day on hallowed ground.
In somber wreath-laying ceremonies and poignant speeches, presidents remember the military members who died serving the country, even as many Americans associate the holiday with a three-day weekend and shopping sales.
Here’s a look at what recent presidents have said on Memorial Days past. All spoke at Arlington in Virginia, except for President George W. Bush:
“The willingness of some to give their lives so that others might live never fails to evoke in us a sense of wonder and mystery. One gets that feeling here on this hallowed ground. And I have known that same poignant feeling as I looked out across the rows of white crosses and stars of David in Europe, in the Philippines and the military cemeteries here in our own land. Each one marks the resting place of an American hero.” — May 31, 1982.
“My fellow Americans, on this Memorial Day, let us commit ourselves to a future worthy of their sacrifice.” — May 25, 1998.
“The day will come when no one is left who knew them. When no visitor to this cemetery can stand before a grave remembering a face and a voice. The day will never come when America forgets them. Our nation and the world will always remember what they did here, what they gave here, for the future of humanity.” — May 27, 2002; Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
“Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay, but we can honor their sacrifice, and we must.” May 30, 2011.
“They were generals and privates, captains and corporals, of every race, color, and of every creed. But they were all brothers and sisters in arms. And they were all united then, as they are united now forever, by their undying love of our great country.” — May 28, 2018.
“This is the mission of our time. Our memorial to them must not be just the day when we pause and pray. It must be a daily commitment to act, to come together, to be worthy of the price that was paid.” May 30, 2022.