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Memorial Day gives us an opportunity to 

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honor and remember those who gave their 

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lives defending our nation's freedom . 

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We have a chance to pay homage to 

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those men and women who paid the 

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ultimate price , whether on the 

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battlefield deployed in harm's way or 

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otherwise . Training and engaging the 

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men and women who supported our nation . 

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And is it interests . Give us something 

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to reflect on every single day . Today 

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is an opportunity for us to do so with 

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special reverence . Yeah . Memorial Day 

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is not just about backyard barbecues . 

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Going to the beach , the latest holiday 

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sell or the unofficial start of summer . 

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It has far deeper meaning . Originally 

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called decoration day . This holiday 

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became an annual national Day of 

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remembrance in 18 68 to honor fallen 

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civil war Service members from the 

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american revolution to the recent 

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conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq 

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service members have continuously put 

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the welfare of the nation before their 

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own . In the Air Force , we consider 

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our greatest asset to be our people . 

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Our all volunteer Air Force is a credit 

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to americans of all races , genders and 

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creeds and our common commitment to 

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defense and a love of country binds us 

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together and unifies us . That goes to 

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the heart of what it means to be an 

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american . On Memorial Day , we must 

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remember the link we have with 

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generations that have gone before us , 

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who selflessly gave their lives in 

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defense of our nation , its values , 

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our freedoms and our liberties . 

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Remember on Memorial Day , that will 

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often mourn those who gave their lives . 

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But at the same time we'll celebrate 

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those lives when you celebrate this 

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weekend . Please do so responsibly and 

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safely . We need everybody to 

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accomplish the mission .