Speech given at this ceremony
by
Annette Sharpe, chairperson of this event for the
Ladies Auxiliary VFW of Rotonda Post 10476
Ladies and Gentlemen please join with me in a minute of silence to remember
the fallen, the prisoners of war,
the missing in action and honor those who have served and are serving
this great nation's armed services.
We are gathered here today at this memorial site and memorial sites
all across America to remember that we are one nation with one flag.
We are all proud to be Americans that live in a free society made up of
many people, many races, from many walks of life. The freedoms we
enjoy today have not come without a price. Lying here before us and
in cemeteries throughout this nation are men and woman who gave their lives
so that we can live in freedom and without fear. We can worship as
we see fit.
We can raise our children to believe as we do. We can travel
from one end of this great nation to the other and not have to ask permission
to go. We are free to vote for whomever we feel should be in government
office and we answer to no one but our own feelings. We have the
right to succeed and we have the right to fail at whatever endeavor we
wish to pursue. The United States of America was founded on the ideals
of Freedom, Justice and Equality. Our nation stands as a shining
beacon of liberty and freedom to the world. We thank those who gave
their lives to keep us free and we shall not forget you. We shall
remember.
Today, many of you here are Veterans of wars and conflicts that America
has had to fight to protect the innocent and oppressed. America has always
been the first nation to stand up for the freedom of people from around
the world. Many of you here today have answered that call and served
your country well. We are here today to say "Thank you" and we are
honored to know you. There are many men and women serving today in
all branches of the military, here at home and in places far away that
most of us have never heard of. These men and women are part of the best-trained,
best-equipped force in the world. We honor them and their families
for the sacrifices they make each day to keep our country safe from terrorism,
hatred and injustices that plague the world community. When you see a Veteran
or an active duty member of the armed services, take a moment to say "thank
you." We owe them our way of life, and a moment of your time is well
spent.
Quoting our 40th United States President Ronald Reagan. "Freedom
is never more than one generation away from extinction. We
didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought
for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will
spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children
what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
Today we show a united front of national unity all across the United
States of America as we Remember the Fallen,
Honor those who served and are serving and Teach our children the value
of freedom.
Seven wreaths now presented: Now, (person's names) will present
a holiday wreath in memory of those who served
and are servings in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air
Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines.
Now, (person's name) will present a holiday wreath in honor of
the nearly 94,000 United States Servicemen from all branches of the service
whose last known status was either Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
These individuals have never returned to their families and homes.
We shall not forget you.
The wreaths before you represent our commitments a United America to
remember the fallen. We also want these holiday wreaths to symbolize
our honor to those who have served and are serving in the armed forces
of our great nation and to their families who endure sacrifices everyday
on our behalf. To our children, we want you to understand the freedoms
you enjoy today have not been free buy have come with a cost that someday,
you may have to pay yourself. As a nation standing together, we can
defeat terrorism, hatred and injustice. Thank to our Veterans, we
have the free to do just that.
We could quote for you the statistics of individuals buried around the
country but all you would have is a bunch of numbers. We instead,
ask you to take a moment and visit a graveside. Write down the information
on the person placed here and when you return home, research their name
on the Internet and find out all you can about this person. You will
find they were real Americans with families, mothers and fathers, sons
and daughters, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles.
They were and are more than just a statistic.
This event was coordinated by the Ladies Auxiliary VFW of Rotonda Post
10476 with Annette Sharpe as chairperson
Thank you.
For more information visit:
www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org
