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World
War II
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We
shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall
fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall
defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the
beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the
fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never
surrender.
...Winston Churchill
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We
shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall
fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall
defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the
beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the
fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never
surrender.
...Winston Churchill
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so
many to so few.
...Winston Churchill
I would say to the House, as I said to those who have
joined this government: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and
sweat.
...Winston Churchill
(May 13, 1940, three days after becoming Prime Minister)
Today we may say aloud before an awe-struck world: "We are
still masters of our fate. We are still captain of our souls."
...Winston Churchill
Indeed I do not think we should be justified in using any
but the more sombre tones and colours while our people, our Empire, and
indeed the whole English-speaking world are passing through a dark and
deadly valley.
...Winston Churchill
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear
ourselves that if the British Empire and Commonwealth last for a thousand
years, men will still say, This was their finest hour.
...Winston Churchill
This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the
end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. (This quote referred
to the Battle of Brittan in which the Royal Air Force battled back the
Luftwaffe)
...Winston Churchill
(November 10, 1942)
And when he gets to Heaven
To St. Peter he will tell:
'One more Marine reporting, Sir — I've served my time in Hell.'
...Sgt. James A. Donahue,
First Marine
Division
I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as
one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.
...General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives
acclaim earned in blood of his followers and sacrifices of his friends.
...General Dwight D. Eisenhower
We are not retreating -- we are advancing in another
direction.
...General Douglas MacArthur
There is no substitute for victory.
...General Douglas MacArthur
Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom.
...General
George S. Patton, Jr.
No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won
it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.
...General George
Patton, Jr.
in
Patton by Francis Ford Coppola
Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a
statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother
of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.
I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine
which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so
overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that
may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of
your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and
lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a
sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
...A. Lincoln
Regimental Prayer of the 29th Division June 6,
1944
Almighty God,
Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a
mighty endeavor….Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms,
stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness to their faith….These men are
lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for lust or conquest.
They fight for liberty…. They yearn but for the end of battle, for the
return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these,
Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom…And, O
Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in
each other…. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen
Inscriptions at the Cemetery at Colleville-sur
Mer, France: (Omaha Beach)
Think not upon their passing but remember the glory of
their spirit.
In proud remembrance of the achievements of her sons and in
humble tribute to their sacrifice. This memorial has been erected by the
United States of America
To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which
they died will live.
This embattled shore, this portal of freedom, is forever
hallowed by the ideas, the valor and sacrifice of our fellow countryman.
Their graves are the permanent and visible symbols of their
heroic devotion and their sacrifice in the common cause of humanity.
These endured all and gave all that justice among nations
might prevail and that mankind might enjoy freedom and inherit peace
Memorial
Day Speeches
The
following comments are excerpted from a speech delivered by State Rep.
Mike Bennett on Memorial Day 2001.
A Vietnam veteran of three tours, Bennett offers a poignant perspective on
America’s wars and warriors. We decided to reprint the speech because,
in light of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Bennett’s thoughts and
concerns ring even more true today.
We
are not here today to celebrate and remember heroes. If a hero was why we
were here, we could just as easily talk about our schoolteachers who are
heroes every day in some children’s eyes. We could talk about our law
enforcement officers who every day put their lives on the line to make our
streets safer and our sleep sounder. We could talk about the many single
mothers who work two and three jobs to ensure their children have a better
life. We could be here today to praise many for their individual acts of
heroism … acts they do silently, without reward and without
acknowledgement.
Today is a special day, reserved for a special class of heroes. It is a
day of mixed emotions. It is a day for reflection in honor of all the
soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who made the
ultimate sacrifice throughout our history. We honor these brave warriors
by not forgetting them. We honor them by not taking for granted what they
did for us. And because we can never let these men and women be
forgotten, we must reserve special days – not just one day – in their
honor.
We
must tell our children about the people who died so they can live in the
greatest country on Earth. Each child should be told of the honor of
serving. Each child must be told of the price of peace. And every child
– male or female, handicapped or perfect in every way, son of the rich or
daughter of the poor – must be given an opportunity to serve this
country. It is more than a privilege to do so – it is a duty – and it is
a price we should all pay to live here.
I
deeply believe that when we did away with the draft, we did our children a
great disservice. I believe that everyone would appreciate this country
more if they had to work a bit to enjoy it. I believe that, instead of
getting rid of mandatory service, we as a nation would be better off if we
would have demanded more participation – not less. We would have been
better off if we had said there were no exceptions. None.
Our
youth would know the meaning of Memorial Day. They could feel
the
same urge to weep as I do every time I say the Pledge of Allegiance. They
would know that a strong military is the basis and guarantor of peace.
They would understand why their grandfather cries when he remembers World
War II. We owe our youth our knowledge and our memories. We owe them the
opportunity to serve.
Today, as we remember those who paid the ultimate price, we must also
remember what they fought and died for. We must thank them for our
democracy, our freedom of speech, the right to disagree, to live in a
country that has free elections. No other country in the world could have
survived such a close election (as the 2000 presidential election)
So
how do we as a nation adequately preserve the memory of these valiant men
and women?
America has erected several key monuments to serve as bold reminders that
we so desperately need. We will soon have the long-awaited World War II
Veterans Memorial. Sadly and regrettably, we have no shortage of
sacrifices from which to select when erecting our memorials.
Still, we accept our inherent duty – the protection of all people. It
seems difficult to believe that it has been ten years since the success of
the Persian Gulf War. Since that time American forces have faced enemy
fire in Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
But
regardless of the consequences, our armed forces stand ready to protect us
from a world that poses constant threats to peace in the world. We must
remain ever vigilant. This continued vigilance itself is an important way
of honoring those whom we remember today.
We
learn from history, from our victories and mistakes, because we don’t want
to lose the precious ground bought with the blood of those who came before
us. It is within our power to keep the fallen alive. In fact, it is our
debt. Let us depart today not with sadness for those we honor, but with
gratefulness.
Because they died, so in peace may we live.
Author
Unknown
I'm here tonight because
men and women of the United States military have given their lives for my
freedom. I am not here tonight because Sheryl Crowe, Rosie O'Donnell,
Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Jane Fonda or Phil Donahue, sacrificed their
lives for me.
If my memory serves me
correctly, it was not movie stars or musicians, but the United States
Military who fought on the shores of Iwo Jima, the jungles of Vietnam, and
the beaches of Normandy. Tonight, I say we should support the President of
the United States and the U.S. Military and tell the liberal,
tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippy, tie-dyed liberals to go make
their movies and music and whine somewhere else. After all, if they
lived in Iraq, they wouldn't be allowed the freedom of speech they're
being given here today. Ironically, they would be put to death at the
hands of Sadam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden. I want to know how the very
people who are against war because of the loss of life, can possibly be
the same people who are for abortion? They are the same people who are for
animal rights but against the rights of the unborn. The movie stars say
they want to go to Iraq and serve as "human shields" for the Iraqis. I say
let them buy a one-way ticket and go. No one likes war. I hate war! But
the one thing I hate more is the fact that this country has been forced
into war-innocent people have lost their lives - and there but for the
grace of God, it could have been my brother, my husband, or even worse my
own son.
On December 7, 1941,
there are no records of movie stars treading the blazing waters of Pearl
Harbor. On September 11, 2001; there are no photos of movie stars
standing as "human shields" against the debris and falling bodies
ascending from the World Trade Center. There were only policemen and
firemen - -underpaid civil servants who gave there all with nothing
expected in return. When the USS Cole was bombed, there
were no movie stars
guarding the ship where were the human shields then? If America's movie
stars want to be human shields, let them shield the gang-ridden streets of
Los Angeles, or New York City. Let them shield he lives of the children
of North Birmingham whose mothers lay them down to sleep on the floor each
night to shelter them from stray bullets.
If they want to be human
shields, I say let them shield the men and women of honesty and integrity
that epitomizes courage and embody the spirit of freedom by wearing the
proud uniforms of the United States Military.
Those are the people who
have earned and deserve shielding! Throughout the course of history, this
country has remained free, not because of movie stars and liberal
activists, but because of brave men and women who hated war too. However,
they lay down their lives so that we all may live in freedom. After all -
"What greater love hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friend,"
or in this case a country.
We should give our
military honor and acknowledgement and not let their lives be in vain. If
you want to see true human shields, walk through Arlington Cemetery. There
lie human shields, heroes, and the BRAVE Americans who didn't get on
television and talk about being a human shield - they were human shields.
I thank God tonight for freedom those who bought and paid for it with
their lives in the past - - those who will protect it in the present and
defend it in the future.
America has remained
silent too long! God-fearing people have remained silent too long!
We must lift our voices
united in a humble prayer to God for guidance and the strength and courage
to sustain us throughout whatever the future may hold. After the tragic
events of Sept. 11th, my then eleven year-old son said terrorism is a war
against them and us and if you're not one of us, then you’re one of them.
So in closing tonight, let us be of one accord, let us stand proud, and
let us be the human shields of prayer, encouragement and support for the
President, our troops and their families and our country. May God bless
America, the land of the free, the home of the brave, and the greatest
country on the face of this earth?
Colin Powell
When in England at a
fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of
Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building
by George Bush.
He answered by saying
that, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young
men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders.
The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury
those that did not return."
It became very quiet in
the room. |
