05/25/2026
Speech delivered today by one of our participants and long time supporters Sean Connolly perfectly captures what today is about:
Thank you all for gathering here today. We come together on this Memorial Day to fulfill a sacred duty of remembrance. We stand in unity to honor those who answered the nation’s call and paid the ultimate price.
Today, our gratitude spans across oceans and generations, recognizing a profound truth: the cost of freedom is measured in human lives.The Dual Fronts of Sacrifice - When we speak of our fallen heroes, we look to the distant shores where so many of our bravest fought and died. We remember those we lost to the wars abroad—in the mud of Europe, the jungles of Asia, and the deserts of the Middle East. They faced hostile fire, braved unimaginable dangers, and gave their last full measure of devotion on foreign soil. Their bravery is etched into our history, and their names are forever engraved on monuments of stone.
But today, we must also speak an uncomfortable, yet vital truth. The battles of military service do not always end when a deployment is over, or when a uniform is put away. Today, we also carry in our hearts those we lost to the war at home. Honoring the Invisible Wounds. For many of our service members, the battlefield followed them back across the ocean. They returned home carrying heavy, unseen burdens—the deep psychological wounds of trauma, post-traumatic stress, and moral injury. Too many of these brave souls fought silent, agonizing wars in their own minds and hearts right here on American soil, eventually succumbing to wounds just as fatal as any sustained in combat.
To their families, we say this: your loved ones are heroes. Their struggles do not diminish their service, nor do they diminish their sacrifice. They gave everything they had to this country. Today, we break the silence. We honor their pain, we remember their lives, and we include them fully in our nation's collective embrace.
Our Sacred Obligation - Remembering those lost abroad and at home requires more than just grieving; it requires action. To truly honor those lost abroad, we must guard the freedom they died to protect. To truly honor those lost at home, we must do better by the ones who are still here with us. We must commit ourselves to being a community that listens, supports, and ensures no Veteran ever has to fight their battles alone in the dark. Our gratitude must manifest as unconditional support for our living veterans and their families.
In conclusion, let us leave this place with a widened perspective on sacrifice. Let us remember every soldier, sailor, airman, marine, and guardian who gave their life—whether on a foreign field of battle or in a quiet room at home. They are all our brothers and sisters. They are all our heroes. May we keep faith with them all, wrap our arms around the families they left behind, and build a nation worthy of their immense sacrifice.
Thank you, and may peace be with you all.
~Sean Connolly, USN Retired
