Good Morning Ladies & Gentlemen & Honored Veterans
It is an honor to be standing here together with so many veterans and their families and at a monument where we remember those who served and gave their lives during World War 2, Korea & Vietnam.
Today on Memorial Day we are here to honor those that have served and protected our country and given their lives to uphold the freedom and values of the United States of America.
As we do so, I am thinking of my great Uncle who was in the British Army, an ally of the US, who was killed while fighting the Nazis on the beaches of Dunkirk. I am thinking also of my own two grandfathers who fought the Nazis in the Second World War, and my wife Shayna’s Grandfather who escaped Germany from the clutches of the Nazis and came to the USA, a country that welcomed this young fleeing Jew on the run from the Nazis, with open arms, and then joined the US Army as part of the famous Richie Boys and played a critical role in the liberation of Europe from Nazi Tyranny.
I think of the thousands of American Troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy into walls of lead, and yet kept going forward, since they knew what they were fighting for, and there was no choice other than to win.
I also think of so many survivors of the Holocaust who have described what it was like to be waiting for the American troops to liberate the camps and the love and gratitude that they welcomed them with.
80+ years ago, not everyone appreciated America’s role and the great sacrifice that was needed to put an end to the tyranny of Hitler, even as tens of thousands were being taken to the ovens every day. Yet thanks to the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of lives the Nazis and their allies were defeated and destroyed, and a terrible evil and murderous movement was stopped from being able to expand its reach.
Sadly, when we run from evil, it chases after us. Only by confronting it, can we put an end to evil and bring more peace and unity to the world.
Today as we mark Memorial Day 2026, I would like to take a moment to honor the memory of the 13 Men and Women of the US Armed Forces who fell in Operation Epic Fury over the last few months.
· Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien (Indianola, Iowa)
· Capt. Cody A. Khork (Winter Haven, Florida)
· Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor (White Bear Lake, Minnesota)
· Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens (Bellevue, Nebraska)
· Sgt. Declan J. Coady (West Des Moines, Iowa)
· Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan (Sacramento, California) [1, 2, 3]
· Sgt. Benjamin Pennington [1]
· Maj. John "Alex" Klinner (Auburn, Alabama)
· Capt. Ariana G. Savino (Covington, Washington)
· Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt (Bardstown, Kentucky)
· Capt. Seth R. Koval (Mooresville, Indiana)
· Capt. Curtis J. Angst (Wilmington, Ohio)
· Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons (Columbus, Ohio)
Dear Veterans and Family Members, for all of us, it is this kindness, empathy and fight for good that you all stand for and what we honor today It is thanks to the sacrifices and often the ultimate sacrifices, that so much of the world is able to live in peace and not under tyranny.
Throughout America’s History, there have been so many who gave it all, and so many who paid the ultimate sacrifice, so that we today, and so many others around the world, could live in peace and prosperity.
Your sacrifice and the message that it represents is more important than ever.
We honor our own Scott Milley from Sudbury who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 and the tremendous dedication of his family and friends.
It is our duty to ensure that their memory and efforts serve as an inspiration to ourselves, our families and our communities so that we may continue to uphold and strengthen the values they fought for, of bettering of the world and protecting humanity.
We pray Thee, Gracious Father and Merciful King, bestow your Divine blessings upon these heroic veterans and upon their families, and may their devotion and loyalty be an inspiration to. Let this Memorial Day stimulate us to be mindful of our responsibilities and duties as conscientious citizens of this great country.
We pray Thee, Merciful Father, sustain and protect the armed forces of the United States of America wherever they may be, so that they succeed in making the world a better place and a place of peace. Help all the nations of our world realize the cruelty of bloodshed and the futility of warfare. Inspire them to labor with all their might to banish conflict and strife, and to establish world peace.
Hasten the fulfillment of the visions of the Prophets - when the work of righteous shall be peace, and its effect, tranquility and security forever; when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
I will conclude with the prayer which we pray daily, Oseh Shalom Bimromav To He who makes peace on High, may He bring peace upon us and upon all of humanity, and let us say, Amen.