Poignant and inspiring words
from President George W. Bush's
Memorial Day Address at Arlington
National Cemetery :
Today, we gather to honor those
who gave everything to preserve
our way of life.
The men and women we
honor here served for liberty.
They sacrificed for liberty.
And in countless acts
of courage, they died for liberty.
From faraway lands,
they were returned to
cemeteries like this one,
where broken hearts received
their broken bodies -- they found
peace beneath the white headstones
in the land they fought to defend.
It is a solemn reminder
of the cost of freedom that
the number of headstones in
a place such as this grows
with every new Memorial Day.
In a world where freedom
is constantly under attack and
in a world where our security is
challenged, the joys of liberty are
often purchased by the sacrifices
of those who serve a cause greater
than themselves.
Today we mourn
and remember all who
have given their lives in
the line of duty.
Today we lift up our hearts
especially to those who have
fallen in the past year.
The soil of Arlington
and other sites is filled
with liberty's defenders.
It is nourished
by their heroism.
It is watered
by the silent tears
of the mothers and fathers,
and husbands and wives, and
sons and daughters they left behind.
Today we pray for God's blessing
on all who grieve and ask the Almighty
to strengthen and comfort them today
and everyday.
I am humbled by those
who have made the ultimate
sacrifice that allow a free
civilization to endure and flourish.
It only remains for us,
the heirs of their legacy,
to have the courage and
the character to follow their
lead -- and to preserve America
as the greatest nation on earth
and the last best hope for mankind.
May God bless you
and may God bless America
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/recalling_a_bush_memorial_day.html
