Thank you for having me here today.  I am honored to be a part of this ceremony, and I appreciate the opportunity to be with you on this special occasion.  Veterans are the group of Americans that I hold in highest regard, only superseded by veterans who honor and serve other veterans.  So thank you to the veterans who organized this ceremony and brought us here today to pay tribute to their comrades.

It is important that we gather today in tribute to the men and women of and the surrounding communities who answered the call in service to their country and to expose our children and grandchildren to the sacrifices others have made.  Memorial Day became a national holiday in order that America might “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity.”

To the veterans here buried and their families who have gathered, let me first express thanks.  Because of their service and their families’ sacrifice, we live in the strongest, freest and greatest nation in the history of the world.  We live with the blessing of freedom they fought and died for.  We are the benefactors of their courage, their commitment to duty, and their deaths.  Let us ever be grateful.

Life is God’s most precious gift.  On Memorial Day we honor those who put their lives at risk for the good of their country.  The lives of these men and women provide us with the meaning of this day far better than any comments a Congressman could make.

All loss of human life is a tragedy.  Our country has had many wars in its history.  It is remarkable that, from the Revolutionary War to today, we have been blessed with men and women willing to sacrifice God’s gift of life.  But we know that the cause of which they gave their lives is worthy.  Freedom is worth death, for without freedom, life looses its meaning.  Love of liberty exceeds love of life.  We are thankful that individuals of each generation have been willing to serve America, that they would risk everything to allow their children and grandchildren the opportunity to live in freedom. 

This year especially, we remember the veterans of World War II, as the National World War II Memorial has just been dedicated and the 60^th anniversary of D-Day approaches.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, our fellow Kansan, spoke on a cold morning before thousands of soldiers raided the beaches of Normandy.  He said to his troops, “The eyes of the world are upon you.  The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”

Sixty years later, the eyes of our nation are once again upon our soldiers of World War II.  But this time, our eyes are not filled with anticipation, but with deep appreciation.  We have veterans to thank for keeping the liberties we love intact.

Such gratitude is often difficult to express.  Last week I visited the World War II Memorial, and while there, I picked up my cell phone and called my father, a World War II veteran.  The answering machine picked up, and part of me was relieved, because it is sometimes hard for children to tell their parents the things that are the most meaningful.  After the beep I said, “Dad, I love you.  I am proud of you.  I thank you for your service to our country.”

Many World War II veterans journeyed to Washington, D.C., this weekend for the dedication of the National World War II Memorial.  The memorial has been a long time in coming.  I am glad that so many veterans were able to make the trip and see their memorial.  Walking along the National Mall, it was inspiring to see thousands of veterans wearing caps with their regiments and branches of service on them, walking with their families.  They are full of pride, and so are we.

All veterans share that pride with our young men and women who now fight in the War on Terror.  Again our soldiers rise up in the face of difficulties and danger.  Their love of this nation forms a bond among them that reaches across all generations. 

During my trip to Iraq last August to visit with Kansas soldiers, I looked into the faces of our current generation of service men and women.  It saddens me to know that some of them have already made, and others will make, the ultimate sacrifice.  But I know our service men and women believe in what they are fighting for- the causes of liberty, justice, and freedom from oppression.  You can see it in their eyes, hear it in their voices, and read it the letters they write home.

A Fort Riley soldier sent me an email and closed with this remark, “You have not lived… until you have almost died.  For those that have fought to protect it, freedom has a special flavor, the protected will never know.”

Yet another soldier was quoted in the Hutchinson News, “I am reminded of the freedoms we have as Americans and now realize that we take for granted those freedoms and how they were granted to us.”

We are all gathered here today so that we do not forget how our freedoms were granted to us.  American soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen have given their lives so that others may live on in freedom.  They sacrificed everything to protect our way of life.

As President Ronald Reagan on the 40^th anniversary of D-Day said, “We will always remember.  We will always be proud.  We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.”

This community, this state and this nation honors each of you who served your country and those who now lie in their final resting place – may God bless you all.  We thank Him for giving us the gift of life, and also for the gift of heroes.