Joint Chiefs of Staff

Good morning Mr. President, Secretary Carter, distinguished guests, and most importantly, to the Gold Star Families who are here.  It’s an honor to be with you today on this hallowed ground.

As we pause this morning and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom and security of our great nation, thousands of men and women continue to serve on active duty around the world. Many in harm’s way.

This morning, while we remember and honor the fallen, I’d ask you to keep those still serving in your thoughts and prayers as well.

Today’s generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen is probably following in the footsteps of an unending line of American citizens who have answered the call to duty.

Since George Washington cobbled together an army, over 40 million Americans have served the colors to ensure the citizens of our nation can live their lives and raise their children in freedom and peace. Some supported the birth of the revolution, more recently others have answered the call to confront terrorism.

The story of the 40 million who have served is the story of our nation.

Along the way, more than one million Americans have given the last full measure. Over 100,000 in World War I. Over 400,000 in World War II. Almost 40,000 in Korea. Over 58,000 in Vietnam. And over 5,000 have been killed in action since 9/11.

These statistics are compelling, but they don’t begin to capture the enormity of the sacrifice. For the loss of each individual brings untold anguish and grief.

Those statistics represent sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, good friends.

Those statistics represent children who grew up without their mothers and fathers.

Those statistics represent lives shattered, hopes and dreams never realized.

Today is a reminder of the real cost of freedom, the real cost of security, and that’s the human cost. But I don’t believe our focus today should be on how these men and women died.

It’s how they lived that is important. It is how they live that makes us remember them. In life, these individuals chose to be something bigger than themselves. They chose to accept hardship and great personal risk. They were people who truly embodied the most important values and traditions of our nation.

If we truly want to honor the fallen from all of our conflicts, if we truly want to give meaning to the sacrifice, we’ll do something in addition to marking their graves with flags and flowers.

Each of us will leave here today with the resolve to strengthen our commitment to our nation and the values for which it stands.

If we walk away from today's ceremony reminded that the cause of freedom requires sacrifice, if we walk away with a renewed sense of commitment to our values, if we walk away reminded how important it is to defend those values, then I would offer that those that were taken from us prematurely will be able to look down and know that we truly remember them.

More importantly, those that were taken from us prematurely will be able to look down and know that their lives had meaning.

On behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coastguardsmen and that we are privileged to lead, thank you for bringing meaning to the sacrifice to the missing and fallen. Thank you for remembering.