Memorial Day 2018 — Speech at the Kyle, TX, VFW, 28 May 2018
Captain Donald S. Inbody, USN (Ret), Ph.D.
Thank you for the invitation to be here with you today. I am always honored to speak on behalf of the Navy, but it is especially humbling to stand here today and speak about the many American heroes we honor on this special day.
Memorial Day is a special holiday, a single day during which we honor the spirit of all those who died in service to our nation but whom we continue to remember and honor in our hearts.
Over the course of American history, nearly a million and a half men and women have been killed in our wars. Another million and a half have been wounded. All of them valued powerful ideals. All of them valued an intangible idea of liberty and gave much of their lives to achieve something greater than themselves to the benefit of others.
Selfless sacrifice to a greater purpose. That is why we gather here and other locations across this country and call this day Memorial Day. We remember and honor those who made those selfless sacrifices, both in life and death, for purposes and results greater than they. We remember the sacrifices they made for us.
We must honor those men and women. We must continually remind ourselves that those who died in our wars, those who have gone before us, those who have sacrificed everything, did it for us.
Four decades ago I raised my hand and swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. As a result, I will periodically take out my small copy of that Constitution and read it…to be sure I understand what it is I am sworn to defend.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
If we do not reach for it, we are not doing our duty. We the People can do no less.
Written by
Donald Inbody
Author, political scientist, naval historian, and amateur radio operator (ADØK).