50 Memorial Day Quotes to Share in Honor and Remembrance
Updated: May 08, 2023Honor the sacrifice of our heroic fallen with these words of wisdom that remind us of the true meaning of patriotism
Honoring veterans with Memorial Day quotes
While Memorial Day tends to herald the beginning of the summer season with barbecues, beaches and the first sunburn of the season, the “holiday” is truly a day for mourning and honoring the military members who have fought and died for our freedom. Memorial Day 2023 falls on Monday, May 29, and in order to prepare, you may be thinking about how to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed.
There are plenty of Memorial Day activities to participate in, Memorial Day movies to watch and patriotic quotes to read, but the following list of Memorial Day quotes will help you honor the fallen soldiers (and express gratitude) in the way they deserve.
“Here men endured that a nation might live.” —Herbert Hoover
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“We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.” —Theodore Roosevelt
If this inspired you, you’ll definitely want to read these strength quotes.
“Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same cause—honor to him, less only than to him, who braves, for the common good, the storms of heaven and the storms of battle.” —Abraham Lincoln
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“Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well.” —Jennifer M. Granholm
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“The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” —Thomas Campbell
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“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” —John F. Kennedy
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“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” —Aristotle
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“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” —Mark Twain
If you’re wanting to take a long weekend this holiday, these Memorial Day getaways should do the trick.
“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
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“I love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” —James Baldwin
“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.” —Charles de Gaulle
“I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.” —John Thune
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“I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free … so other people would be also free.” —Rosa Parks
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“A battle lost or won is easily described, understood and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.” —Frederick Douglass
These confidence quotes will have you ready to meet any challenge.
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” —Arthur Ashe
“Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory there would be no civilization, no future.” —Elie Wiesel
“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The legacy of heroes—the memory of a great name, and the inheritance of a great example.” —Benjamin Disraeli
These gratitude quotes will help you always be grateful for their sacrifice.
“This is the day we pay homage to all those who didn’t come home. This is not Veterans Day, it’s not a celebration, it is a day of solemn contemplation over the cost of freedom.” —Tamra Bolton
If you were looking for quotes geared more toward veterans, check out these Veterans Day quotes that honor those who have served.
“If words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice.” —Ronald Reagan
“As we set today aside to honor and thank our veterans, let us be mindful that we should do this every day of the year and not just one.” —Beth Pennington
Learn the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day (if you don’t already know, you’re not alone).
“The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” —Jeff Miller
“There is nothing nobler than risking your life for your country.” —Nick Lampson
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“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.” —General Douglas MacArthur
Now that you’ve been inspired by these Memorial Day quotes, learn more about the history and significance of the Memorial Day poppy.
Additional reporting by Molly Pennington, PhD.
