I recently lost two Marines under my watch and four more working beside them.
So this Memorial Day, one toast won't do. Let's make it three ... for those who want to be here and cannot be.
To those who gave all.
To those who gave some.
To those still giving, all protecting our freedom and liberty.
Only thing to add:
To those families and loved ones whose sacrifice and support makes the mission possible and bearable.
Thank you all. Your nation can never express strongly enough the debt we owe to all the brave men women who serve and the families who support them--in far too many instances permanently bearing the wounds of that service together.
May we never forget that peace and freedom are hard won: born in blood; wrought in violence; forged in sacrifice; and maintained through vigilance, determination, and commitment to the principles of liberty, hope, and virtue.
