Mayor Vic De Luca delivered these remarks at today's Memorial Day ceremony:
On
behalf of my Township Committee colleagues: Deputy Mayor Kathy
Leventhal, Committeemen Jerry Ryan and Marlon Brownlee and
Committeewoman India Larrier, I wish you a happy and safe Memorial Day.
Thank you Maplewood Memorial Post 10120 Veterans of Foreign Wars for sponsoring today’s parade and memorial service.
Memorial
Day is one of our nation’s oldest and most significant holidays, a
holiday that recognizes our shared American heritage. Like hundreds of
thousands of people across this land, we take time today to honor the
1.3 million men and women throughout our nation’s history who sacrificed
their lives so that we can live free.
These fallen
heroes were ordinary people – fathers and mothers, sons and daughters,
brothers and sisters – who had hearts of steel. We shall never forget
their courage, determination and their ultimate sacrifice to preserve
and advance the values of peace, justice and liberty for generations to
come.
In his 2015 Memorial Day message, President Barack
Obama said, "No words can ever bring back a loved one who has been
lost. No ceremony can do justice to their memory. No honor will ever
fill their absence. But on Memorial Day, we come together as Americans
to let these families and veterans know that they are not alone.”
We
live in the greatest nation in the world because time and time again
brave men and women selflessly gave of themselves to defend a way of
life we all too often take for granted. We honor these fallen warriors
best when we work to preserve and protect freedom and liberty that
America promises for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender,
religious beliefs, sexual orientation, income status and zip code.
President Abraham Lincoln told us it was our responsibility to complete
the promise of the founding principles of our nation.
Today
we praise the warriors but we do not praise war itself. The men and
women we honor on Memorial Day fought for peace in their time and for
generations to come. Let us not forget the 1.5 million men and women now
deployed on active duty around the world. May they remain safe and
return to their families as soon as possible.
Looking
out at this crowd I recognize the strength that we have as a people,
strength built on our ability to live in harmony, celebrating our
diversity while sharing a common bond. And take a moment to look at the
young people among us; this is the promise of America. Let’s us commit
to them and to their future children that we will do what it takes now
to end conflicts and violence throughout the world.
This
Memorial Day we honor the men and women of the armed forces who
sacrificed all to defend our way of life. We remember them, thank them
and their families, and commit to them that we will work for a better
and safer world for all.
Thank you very much.
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