On May 30, 2022, Americans throughout the country will honor the heroic soldiers and women who gave their lives in defense of our country. Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer, with many family gatherings, pool parties, parades, and backyard cookouts. The genuine meaning of Memorial Day, on the other hand, is a far more solemn occasion. It’s a day of remembering to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the US military.
Memorial Day is a particular time to respect America’s history and commemorate the bravery, fortitude, and honor of our warriors, whether you celebrate by holding a backyard BBQ or simply sharing a modest and intimate minute of silence with your loved ones. Even though Memorial Day is a time to commemorate the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, we must never forget that that freedom was won at the cost of the courageous soldiers who gave their lives defending it. Wishing someone a “Happy Memorial Day” could be deemed disrespectful, given the holiday’s solemn significance.
We’ve compiled a compilation of the most solemn and patriotic Memorial Day quotes, messages, and greetings to remember our country’s heroes who gave their all to battle for our nation’s independence. Instead of “Happy Memorial Day,” what should you say? These Memorial Day quotes and tributes pay tribute to the men and women who served in the military but never returned home. There are words you can send to the parents or loved ones of a dead warrior, Memorial Day greetings you can use in a speech remembering the deceased, and sayings you can use on a Memorial Day Weekend party invitation. To remember those who gave their all, pair them with one of these patriotic Memorial Day quotes or Memorial Day Instagram posts.
Current 50 Memorial Day Quotes and Messages
1. “Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.”- Barack Obama
2. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy
3. “Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion.”- Calvin Coolidge
4. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”- Theodore Roosevelt
5. “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”- Franklin D. Roosevelt
6. “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”- General Douglas MacArthur
7. “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”- Eleanor Roosevelt
8. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”- Joseph Campbell
9. “Never was so much owed by so many few.”- Winston Churchill
10. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” – Thomas Campbell
11. “Home of the free, because of the brave.” – Unknown
12. “To those in uniform serving today and to those who have served in the past, we honor you today and every day.”- Unknown
13. “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”- Norman Schwarzkopf
14.”The brave die never, though they sleep in dust, their courage nerves a thousand living men.”- Minot J. Savage
15. “May we never forget freedom isn’t free.”- Unknown
16. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”- James Allen
17. “Veterans are a symbol of what makes our nation great, and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom.”- Rodney Frelinghuysen
18. “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”- Unknown
19. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived.”- George S. Patton
20. “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”- Benjamin Disraeli
21. “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”- James A. Garfield
22. “Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours.”- Wallace Bruce
23. “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”- Elmer Davis
24. “Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well.”- Jennifer M. Granholm
25. “Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.”- Mary Roach
26. “Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”- Sun Tzu
27. “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”- G.K. Chesterson
28. “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”- Adlai Stevenson II
29. “And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.”- Joseph Rodman Drake
30. “America without her soldiers would be like God without His angels.”- Claudia Pemberton
31. “So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”- Helen Keller
32. “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory there would be no civilization, no future.”- Elie Wisel
33. “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” – Adlai Stevenson
34. “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.”- Charles de Gaulle
35. “I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”- John Thune
36. “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.”- Jeff Miller
37. “I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism.”- Bob Riley
38. “There is nothing nobler than risking your life for your country.”- Nick Lampson
39. “Over all our happy country – over all our Nation spread, is a band of noble heroes– is our Army of the Dead.”- Will Carleton
40. “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”- John F. Kennedy
41. “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”- Martin Luther King Jr
42. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”- Nathan Hale
43. “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.”- William J. Clinton
44. “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”- Mark Twain
45. “What I can do for my country, I am willing to do.”- Christopher Gadsen
46. “A man is a patriot if his heart beats true to his country.” – Charles E. Jefferson
47. “Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives.”- John Adams
48. “If you want to thank a soldier, be the kind of American worth fighting for.” – Unknown
49. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We did not 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.”- Ronald Reagan
50. “Let their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.” – Daniel Webster