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 In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to close a dedication ceremony of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in the aftermath of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. From those hallowed grounds, Lincoln gave one of the most moving and poignant speeches in American history. Lincoln’s Gettysburg address clarified the meaning of the war, sought to unify our battered country, and pledged that our country “can never forget” the cost of our Union soldiers’ sacrifice.

In the years that followed the Gettysburg Address, communities across the country began to hold tributes to fallen soldiers of the Civil War by offering prayers and decorating gravestones with flowers. In 1868, Major General John A. Logan designated a day to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil war. This was known as “Decoration Day”. But as our nation found itself entrenched in the First World War, the holiday evolved into commemorating those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in all wars. Nearly 100 years later, Congress officially declared Memorial Day a national holiday in 1971.

Since then, we gather every year on Memorial Day to set aside our busy routines and come together to pay our respects to fallen soldiers. We celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer by honoring the best of us, those who gave their lives so that we can live ours more fully and freely. We honor our heroes who answered when our country called for their help. 

In America, we have been fortunate to have examples of true heroism all throughout our history. A group of patriots fought against unfair taxation and restraint of individual liberty to defeat a military superpower in the Revolutionary War. Brother fought against brother to preserve our Union during the Civil War. America’s Doughboys confronted peril in the trenches of Europe throughout World War I. The Greatest Generation bravely fought in Europe and the Pacific Theater. They stared into the face of evil and liberated a continent. Americans were deployed to remote regions of the world like Korea and Vietnam, where they fought to defeat communism and defend our freedom.

Since September 11, 2001, our nation has faced a new enemy. Nebraska’s finest have risen to defend our country against the threat of terrorism. Many have suffered life-changing injuries. Some are visible, while others are not. According to the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 77 Nebraskans have given their lives during the war on terror so that we can be safe.

President Kennedy once said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” In our communities throughout Nebraska, we honor and remember the men and women we have lost. 

As Nebraskans send care packages to their loved ones oversees, they may stop in the Caleb A. Nelson Post Office in Omaha, named after a Nebraska Navy SEAL who was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Or they may walk along the Wayne R. Cornell Street in Hastings that pays tribute to an Army Sergeant from Holstein, Nebraska, who lost his life serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Or they may visit the Sergeant Cory Mracek Memorial Post Office in Chadron, dedicated in honor of a soldier who also lost his life while serving in Iraq. In Lincoln, fans pack the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium. The stadium was built in honor of generations of Nebraska’s heroes that have served in every war. 

This Memorial Day, I hope you will take a moment to pause and reflect on the valor of our brave fallen. We should always honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation.

Thank you for taking part in our democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.