Memorial Day 2025: A Prayer for Peace

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, which commemorates those who have died during service in America’s  military, so I hope you and your family take a few minutes to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.  

(A quick refresher: Armed Forces Day is mainly focused on those currently serving, while Veterans Day (Nov 11) which is also a public holiday, is intended to honor all veterans).

What do Americans think about Memorial Day?  A recent survey by Savanta, a data, market research company, found:

“When we asked people directly, 52% said Memorial Day has lost its original meaning. That’s a powerful stat, but it doesn’t mean the day no longer resonates. In fact, 60% still associate the holiday with honoring fallen military members, and 40% say they look forward to reflecting on the purpose of the day. Even more encouraging, 62% believe Memorial Day still brings people together, regardless of background or beliefs.”

How did Memorial Day originate?  According to the Veterans Administration, Memorial Day was “[o]riginally called Decoration Day [and] was formalized by a ‘Memorial Day Order’ issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868.”  The VA includes this memorable quote in its discussion of Memorial Day:

Today, a  joint Congressional resolution, approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), states:

The President’s Proclamation

Consistent with the Joint Resolution, the President has issued a proclamation, “Prayer for Peace,“ designating “Memorial Day, May 26, 2025, as a day of prayer for permanent peace” and establishing “the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time when people might unite in prayer.”  He asked “all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day “ and requested Governors and other officials “to direct that on Memorial Day the flag be flown at half-staff until noon.” 

He further asked “citizens to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.”  (An excellent Military.com article by Tiffini Theisen explaining Memorial Day flag etiquette is found here, and it includes reference to the relevant portions of the Flag Code.)

The President also said:

“Memorial Day is a sacred day of remembrance, reverence, and gratitude for the brave patriots who have laid down their lives in service to our great Nation.  Throughout our history, brave men and women have been called to defend the cause of liberty on foreign shores in defense of our homeland.  Their noble sacrifices are marked by flag-draped coffins and the silent sorrows of those left behind.  We must never forget those who have given everything for our country.

America’s Gold Star Families — whose sons, daughters, wives, and husbands are among the honored — endure unfathomable heartache.  Their loved ones selflessly gave everything to protect our sovereignty.  They have our unwavering support, deepest gratitude, and highest respect.  The lives lost in war serve as a solemn reminder of why we must pursue peace through strength. 

We are eternally indebted to our Nation’s fallen heroes.  On this solemn day, as we honor their sacrifice, the First Lady and I ask all citizens to join us in prayer that Almighty God may comfort those who mourn, grant protection to all who serve, and bring blessed peace to the world.”

President Trump, as presidents before him, is expected to commemorate Memorial Day with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery and a speech.  In my view, the finest Memorial Day speeches were given by President Ronald Reagan, and a short (6:45 minutes) video of highlights from them is found here.

Perhaps his most memorable remarks about those who died serving their country were actually delivered on Veteran’s Day, 1985.  However, they are also perfect for Memorial Day, and video can be found here. (It’s only two minutes long.)  I hope an ad doesn’t interfere, but if it does, here is part you won’t soon forget:

“It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away.  The imagination plays a trick.  We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise.  We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray haired.”  

“But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives — the one they were living and the one they would have lived.  When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers.  They gave up their chance to be revered old men.  They gave up everything for our country, for us.  And all we can do is remember.”

President Barack Obama also gave an awesome speech honoring those who gave their all.  Here’s part of his Memorial Day speech delivered in 2009:

Today, some of those stones are found at the bottom of this hill in Section 60, where the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan rest.  The wounds of war are fresh in Section 60.  A steady stream of visitors leaves reminders of life:  photos, teddy bears, favorite magazines.  Friends place small stones as a sign they stopped by.  Combat units leave bottles of beer or stamp cigarettes into the ground as a salute to those they rode in battle with.  Perfect strangers visit in their free time, compelled to tend to these heroes, to leave flowers, to read poetry — to make sure they don’t get lonely.

If the fallen could speak to us, what would they say?  Would they console us?  Perhaps they might say that while they could not know they’d be called upon to storm a beach through a hail of gunfire, they were willing to give up everything for the defense of our freedom; that while they could not know they’d be called upon to jump into the mountains of Afghanistan and seek an elusive enemy, they were willing to sacrifice all for their country; that while they couldn’t possibly know they would be called to leave this world for another, they were willing to take that chance to save the lives of their brothers and sisters in arms.

What is thing, this sense of duty?  What tugs at a person until he or she says “Send me”?  Why, in an age when so many have acted only in pursuit of the narrowest self-interest, have the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of this generation volunteered all that they have on behalf of others?  Why have they been willing to bear the heaviest burden?

Whatever it is, they felt some tug; they answered a call; they said “I’ll go.”  That is why they are the best of America, and that is what separates them from those of us who have not served in uniform — their extraordinary willingness to risk their lives for people they never met.

Memorial Day Customs and Traditions

Memorial Day has its own customs and traditions, one of them being for soldiers of the 3d Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) to place flags at the graves at Arlington National Cemetery (where I hope to wind up someday!).  Here’s how DoD describes the tradition which dates to 1948:

Nearly 1,500 soldiers assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” placed U.S. flags at over 260,000 headstones and niche columns across Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, for the 77th annual “Flags In” ceremony, May 22, 2025.

The predawn mission, beginning at 4 a.m. despite cold, misty conditions, marked the official start of Memorial Day observances at the cemetery. Soldiers meticulously positioned each flag one boot length from each marker, honoring service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

“For those who gave everything in service to our country, this is our way of showing that they will never be forgotten.” — Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Holmes

All 260,000 flags will be “removed after Memorial Day, before the cemetery opens to the public.”

The Old Guard

Here’s some more information about the Old Guard from their website:

The Sentinels

The Old Guard provides Arlington the soldiers (also called Sentinels) who stand watch over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Becoming a Sentinel is a difficult and very selective process, and the duty is demanding.  Sentinels maintain the vigil 24 hours a day, seven days a week,  irrespective of the weather.  Visitors are welcome but – fair warning – the soldiers of the Old Guard do not brook disrespect at the Tomb (see here, here, and here).

You may wonder if the weapons carried by the Sentinels are real. The Society of the Honor Guard explains that the rifle carried by the Sentinels is an actual, working M14 that uses standard NATO 7.62mm ammunition,  and is equipped with an authentic M6 bayonet-knife.  

Interestingly, the handguns carried by the non-commissioned officers are M17 Sig Sauer P320 pistols that fire 9 mm ammunition, but have several unique features:

More questions about the Sentinels?  See the fascinating FAQs found here.

Memorial Day ceremonies

If you’d like to attend a Memorial Day event, a state-by-state guide to ceremonies is found here.   

National Memorial Day concert

The National Memorial Day concert is on Sunday, May 25th at 8 p.m.  This truly not-to-be-missed event will be broadcast locally in most places, but will also be live-streamed here.

National Memorial Day parade

The American Veterans Center advises:

“The National Memorial Day Parade presented by Boeing returns LIVE to Constitution Avenue this Memorial Day, May 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM, with pre-parade musical performances starting at 1:00 PM! See below for the list of participating celebrities and performers.”

“Attend the parade live, in person, or watch on television around the country and around the world, as the story of American sacrifice is shared from Washington, DC and beyond. Then, stay tuned for our very special Independence Day television companion: Our Sacred Honor: An American Salute. Airing on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW stations nationwide, the National Memorial Day Parade and Our Sacred Honor commemorate the shared values of service and sacrifice that have brought us together throughout our history.”

Duke Memorial

Between Duke Chapel and Duke Divinity School there is a memorial with the names of the more than 300 Duke alumni who have been killed in action on the nation’s conflicts.

Though he wasn’t killed in action, I often think of a former student, Richard Lin, a truly awesome young man who died in a car accident while serving as a Navy judge advocate (JAG).  A beautiful note about Richard’s passing written by Liz Gustafson, then our Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, was published in Lawfire in 2019.  You can read it and some more about Richard here: “A Life Too Short Leaves a Lesson and Legacy”

Richard is buried in Arlington, but he will never be forgotten by those fortunate enough to have known him.

Concluding thoughts

Enjoy the day, but please take some time — a “moment” anyway — to offer a prayer for peace and to remember those who did what their country asked them to do and who, as General Frank McKenzie so aptly put it last year, fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.  We owe them a debt we can never repay.