05/27/2019
Staff Sergeant (Retired) Dave Lancaster's memorial day speech:
Memorial Day was originally called "Decoration Day" with an original date of May 30th, 1868. The original purpose was to honor all those who lost their lives fighting the rebellion during the civil war by decorating their graves. Hence the name, Decoration Day. However, as the wars went on, the American people added remembrance of those lost in WW1, WW2, Korean, Vietnam, and all the smaller conflicts in between, such as the Banana wars. In 1971 Decoration Day was deemed Memorial Day by Congress and created into a federal holiday, also changing the date from May 30th to the last Monday in May to honor and remember all war casualties.
When I was first asked to speak today, I was honored but very internally hesitant. Finding the proper words to truly honor those that have given up everything in life for what they believed in was not an easy task. I, like others here today, have personally gotten to know those who gave up their lives for our way of life. As an example of the sacrifices these men and women are willing to make, man I had the honor of meeting and serving with on my first deployment to Iraq, a young charismatic cavalry LT. I met him around the second week of my deployment. The first day I met him we were playing cards on down time and he excitedly showed me pictures of his baby that was just born but hadn’t had the chance to hold him yet. He was one month away from redeploying while explaining how the days seem to drag out more and more the closer it gets. His troop had just hit their 14-month mark of their 15-month deployment. The very next day my team was called out to conduct a post blast investigation on his truck, where he was killed instantly leaving him nearly unrecognizable... That day my heart sank into the Iraq sands as this became my new reality.
The phrase “only the good die young” is extremely true for those who have served in the military. Unfortunately, my list, like many others, does not stop with just one person but a very long painful list and the list for our country is even more painful and vast.
Most people realize it takes a special type of person to fulfill the needs of our country and an even more special type to give up their life for it. I've heard people say, "the reason people join the military is because they don’t fit in with others or they don’t have what it takes to make it in the real world." For this I say you're very wrong. The reason people join is because they believe in something bigger than themselves, something much greater than any one person can amount to. They have found things in this world that are worth loving and preserving, regardless of the cost and for some that cost is their life. It is because of these selfless and courageous men and women that our enemies stay at bay. For if it was not for those people, the world as we know it would be a lot uglier and the battle fields a lot closer to home.
Freedom is a privilege, a privilege that cost. To truly remember the lost, we must remember the cost. Nothing in this world is for free, including our freedoms.
I know a lot of veterans who are mildly bothered by people putting on BBQ’s, partying, going on trips, and feel people are not making it all about those who were lost. They feel, that’s not how truly honor the sacrifices people have made. However, most of the ones I knew, that were lost, wouldn’t want people to be restricted and gloomy, but to have people enjoy their freedoms and to spend it having fun with their families and friends. Because that is what they fought for and died protecting. As the famous General Patton once said, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” Truthfully, they’d probably be doing the same thing if they were still among us.
So please enjoy the day doing what you want, with your loved ones…. as long as its not illegal. Just figure out a way to honor those who died for you, while doing it.
To the Gold Star families: We salute you and we are eternally grateful for your families’ sacrifices. May God Bless you and the USA!
