05/31/2026
For those who were unable to attend the Memorial Day ceremony, I wanted to share the powerful and moving words from our American Legion Commander.
“Good morning.
My name is Andrew Calori. I’m the Commander of the Painesville, Ohio American Legion Post. Thank you for being here.
Today is Memorial Day.
This is not Veterans Day. This is not a generic “thank you for your service” day. Today is for the fallen. The men and women who left home and did not make it back.
So let’s say the quiet part out loud.
Our freedom is not free. It never was. It is paid for. Up front. In blood. In broken bodies. In empty chairs at kitchen tables. In folded flags handed to families who will never be the same.
If you have ever stood next to a Gold Star family, you know what I mean. There is a weight to that grief. It does not fade because the calendar moved on. It does not disappear because the war is no longer on the front page.
We live in a time where people argue about almost everything. Loudly. Constantly. Online. In the media. Everywhere.
But there are still a few things that should be sacred.
This is one of them.
Because the people we honor today did not die for a political party. They did not die for a slogan. They did not die so we could waste our lives arguing with each other over nonsense.
They died for something older and bigger than all of that.
They died for the idea that America is worth defending.
They died for a country where citizens have rights that do not come from government, but from a higher power.
They died for the Constitution. For liberty. For self-government. For the rule of law. For what our great flag represents.
And they died knowing the cost.
Some were barely adults. Some had families. Some had dreams they never got to realize. Some never got to see what they were fighting to protect.
That is the reality of Memorial Day.
So what do we do with that?
First, we remember.
Not in a vague way. Not in a “moment of silence and then back to business” way.
We remember with respect.
We remember with gratitude.
We remember with humility.
Second, we tell the truth.
We are here today because brave Americans stepped forward when it was not convenient. When it was not safe. When it was not guaranteed.
They did not hide from their duty. They did not wait for someone else to handle it. They did not sit back and hope the problem would solve itself.
They stood up, volunteered, carried the load.
And some of them paid the final price.
Third, we must live like that sacrifice mattered.
This is the part that gets hard, because it is easy to honor the fallen with words as I am today.
It is harder to honor them with how we live.
So here is my challenge to you.
Be the kind of American they thought they were protecting.
Take ownership of your life.
Take care of your family.
Raise your kids with values.
Serve your community.
Be the neighbor who shows up.
Be the citizen who votes.
Be the person who speaks the truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
And be grateful. Actually grateful. Not the shallow kind. The kind that changes how you act.
Because if we forget what was given for us, we will slowly become the kind of nation not worth giving anything for.
Now, I want to speak directly to the families who have lost someone.
If you are carrying that burden today, I want you to hear this.
We see you.
We honor your loved one.
And we understand that “thank you” is not enough. It never will be.
But we will not forget them. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever, as long as we have anything to say about it.
To all of you.
Enjoy the rest of this day.
I mean it.
Go be with your people.
Cook out. Have some drinks. Laugh. Be with your kids. Call your parents. Check on someone who is alone.
Live.
Fully.
Not because today is about fun, but because the fallen did not die so we could be bitter and miserable.
They died so we could have ordinary days.
They died so we could have peace.
They died so we could build a life.
Do not waste that gift.
Live in a way that makes their sacrifice count.
If we do that, then those lives were not lost in vain.
God bless the fallen.
God bless their families.
And God bless the United States of America.
Semper Fidelis and thank you.”
