Memorial Day May 2026

For a few minutes, let’s all think about the history of our great American story.

Since the very first blueprint for this nation was laid out, it’s estimated that 558 million dreams have been lived on this American soil by citizens and immigrants alike. But like any dream, that beautiful dream requires caretakers. And since the American Revolution, more than 1.17 million brave souls have given their last full measure to protect that dream for the rest of us.

They aren’t just names carved into cold stone and plaques; they are individual stories. Stories of hope, courage, and love. We feel their presence in the quiet times, white crosses standing at attention in Normandy. We see them in the hallowed rows of grave stones at Arlington National Cemetery, and beneath the peaceful skies at Hawaii’s Punchbowl. And we remember those who rest in quiet corners known only to the Almighty and in our unwritten History.

We are here today to hold up a light for them.

We are here for neighbors like West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a brave soul who was mortally wounded while watching over the streets of Washington, D.C., on a cold November 26th.

We stand with Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, who carried the heavy burden of serious wounds from that very same day.

We should not, and we cannot, let their stories fade into a forgotten memory.

We are here to remember the 2,341 peacemakers whose lives were cut short at Pearl Harbor 85 years ago.

We are here for the 3,100 souls who stood firm against the biting cold and the fierce winds at Korea’s “frozen” Chosin Reservoir.

Think of Air Force Staff Sergeant William Pitsenbarger. Sixty years ago, surrounded by an overwhelming force in a dense jungle near Saigon, he looked at a company of soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division who were cut off and outnumbered. In that moment of pure darkness, he lived out a beautiful philosophy that should guide us all:

“These things we do… that others may live.”

And we are here for all the young men and women who, even into this modern day, continue to step forward into the dust and dirt of foreign lands, ensuring that the light of liberty keeps burning brightly.

Remember: these are everyday people from small towns and big cities who have answered the call, extending a protective hand over the land they loved and chose to serve and support.

That is the ultimate blueprint of love. From the brave soul who absorbs the blast of a grenade to shield a friend, to the rescue crew member who plunges into a freezing sea to pull a stranger to safety—these are ordinary Americans who reached deep inside themselves to find extraordinary valor. They fought to protect and keep alive their brothers and sisters and to protect your family and mine. Lost but saved must not be forgotten.

To truly honor them, we must build a nation worthy of their goodness. We must imagine a place where patriotism rises far above politics, where the American Flag waves proudly on every corner as a symbol of welcome, and where our military veterans are celebrated as the true heart and soul of our communities.

But our duty doesn’t end when the speeches are all over.

We must NEVER forget the families who carry the quiet weight of this sacrifice “Every single day.”

Long after the battlefield guns fall silent, the short skirmishes are over, and the echoes of war fade away, the children of our fallen warriors are still growing up with an empty chair at the table. Spouses are left to walk life’s long path alone. Parents who will carry a lifelong grief for their heroic sons and daughters who were taken away far too early.

That is where we must step in—not just as names on a roster, but as a family of American citizens. We can never replace the heroes (we) lost. But we can be the hand that feeds, the shoulder to lean on, and just listen, and the community that ensures that all people can pursue their education and a life without fear.

We can look them in the eye and give them our sacred word:

Your loved one’s dream will never be forgotten.

Memorial Day weekend is a beautiful time for families to gather, to enjoy the warmth of summer, and to appreciate our freedom. But let us take this specific, sacred moment to remember the immense price that was paid so we could enjoy this way of life.

To truly understand the foundation upon which our safety rests, we look at the numbers left behind in our history books. From 1775 to this very day in 2026, the ledger of our freedom tells a profound story:

Total Battle Deaths: 655,421 service members who fell directly in the line of duty.

Total Other Deaths: 522,763 service members who were lost to disease, harsh environments, and the heavy trials of prisoner-of-war camps.

The Combined Total: 1,178,184 lives given to keep the American dream alive.

These figures are an honest approximation of our historical records, and we hold them with deep respect as our records continue to grow more accurate over time.

If you look back at our history, before the medical miracles of World War II, it was often sickness and harsh conditions—those “Other Deaths”—that took the heaviest toll. But whether a service member fell in the heat of combat or succumbed to illness in a muddy trench, the empty seat at the family dinner table feels exactly the same. Remembering the unique heartbeat of every single one of those lives is the true meaning of this day.

We must always remember that many dark, tyrannical regimes have been brought down and terrible genocides have been stopped because Americans were willing to put their lives on the line.

Let us remember that peace, too, is being preserved and communities protected because our service members were willing to pay forward and up to the highest price.

Let us remember that without the protective shield of the U.S. military, our world would be a far darker, more and a more oppressive place.

From the soldiers of the Army and sailors in the Navy to the Air Force airmen, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and then the Space Force Guardians.

“Freedom has no greater friend than the American service member.”

The beautiful Preamble to the Constitution of The American Legion gives its legions our marching orders:

“To preserve the memories and incidents of our association in all wars.”

The greatest way we can honor our fallen is to live lives that are worthy of the heavy price they paid. That means rolling up our sleeves to strengthen our neighborhoods, reaching out a supportive hand to the veterans living among us, wrapping our arms around military families, and passing the torch to the next generation so they know exactly what this day means.

We must tell their stories.

We must speak their names.

We must make sure our children and grandchildren understand that the freedoms they enjoy today were paid for with courage, service, commitment, and blood.

We must remind them, with absolute clarity, that “Freedom is not free.”

It brings to mind those timeless words from the King James Version of the Bible, in John 15:13:

“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

President Abraham Lincoln once reminded us that a nation that fails to honor its heroes will not long endure. He was entirely right.

But we should also look into our own hearts and ask:

Would we even want to live in a nation that forgot the very people who built its foundations?

Your presence here today is the answer to that question.

It proves that we are here for them, because we are here because of them.

By Walt Mabe
Front Royal, VA

Join us on Monday, May 25, at noon on the Courthouse lawn to remember…