Memorial Day has come to mean the beginning of summer, a time for picnics and barbecues, and a holiday to gather around the family. That happiness and freedom, however, is a product of the real cause for the holiday: the sacrifice made by men and women who have fought and died for the freedoms and liberties Americans hold dear. Memorial Day is a time to remember that the American way of life is not cheap but rather has been purchased by the lives and blood of so many who have sacrificed for us to live free and happily now.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. -John F. Kennedy

Please remember the sacrifices that were made for our freedom and never take freedom for granted.