Cochran salutes Mississippi’s Memorial Day heroes
In a Memorial Day tribute released Friday morning, U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) said that brave men and woman who have died in defense of the United States should inspire all Americans “to work for the good of our nation.” Cochran’s 2013 Memorial Day tribute was included in the Congressional Record and honors Mississippians who have died while in the service of the country since the holiday was observed last year.
“Today, tens of thousands of American men and women continue to put their lives on the line to preserve and perpetuate the freedoms and liberties established with the birth of our nation. The freedoms we enjoy in this country have often been paid for with the lives of these servicemembers. Their selfless example of service, whether made at Bunker Hill, Vicksburg, Iwo Jima, Inchon or the remotest regions of Afghanistan, inspires us to sacrifice and work for the good of our nation,” said Cochran, the vice chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Cochran’s full tribute follows:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the men and women of our Armed Forces who have given their lives in defense of the United States. Memorial Day has, since its inception in the years immediately after the end of the Civil War, been a special time for us to remember and honor all Americans who have died in military service. Nearly 150 years after the first “Decoration Day” was observed, it remains important that we as citizens of this great nation take time to reflect on the brave servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
As I’ve noted, Memorial Day grew out of a practice started in April 1866 in Columbus, Mississippi, with the decoration of the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers alike. The tradition of honoring both those who fell on both sides of that conflict evolved into our modern observance of this sacred day.
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
5/27/13
Magnolia Tribune
