too for the sun today our beautiful  good morning father in heaven we thank you for this day for this beautiful day that you have given us in this beautiful setting this morning we come to thank you too for all the brave men and women who have served our country over the last over two hundred years to keep us safe and free because of their sacrifice we have the great privilege and the freedom to gather here to enjoy this beautiful day and we pause to give thanks to them and to you the father and the author of all liberty our gathering today not for all those who speak all those who marched all those who have served us in the past all those who serve now and all those who sleep in honored peace who  fought for us with their lives the liberty that is ours your gift to us which they safeguard and guarantee these things we pray through christ our lord roland burros know will lead us in the pledge of allegiance the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all under the direction of mary barra notice the band is sitting down but we're going to have them on their feet at least part of them maybe all of them to applaud our national anthem one of the good things to come out of the civil war was memorial day for monster losses in the civil war exceeded those of any other state based on population after the war on may the fifth eight hundred sixty eight our grand army of the republic commander in chief john a logan issued a general order designating may thirtieth eight hundred sixty eight and we quote here from him a day to stroll flowers and otherwise decorate the graves of comrades who died in the defense of their country during the late rebellion this state was made legal first in rhode island in eight hundred seventy four and number two state to do this all the states was vermont in eight hundred seventy six more than six hundred thousand soldiers died in the civil war including those on both sides no more all day is a good day for good time to think about the things that have made our country great the people and their actions and personal qualities that have made and kept america our speaker here today has had quite a long time to consider america over his ninety plus years and more is had the experiences the education and the knowledge to understand the importance of these things and needs no more introduction to most of you had having served us in both communities at many levels for many many years and would like to talk to you today about courage ladies and gentlemen and more wow what a privilege it is to stand here before so many friends and relatives and gail thank you for that generous introduction i do want to speak about courage a little bit because it's such an important character which is embodied in the persons of our people who serve us today we are gathered pay tribute and i honor to those who have served in our nation's armed forces we as members of this state can be duly proud of the role played by many vermont men and women who have served our country over the years during the civil war which this special memorial day was inaugurated vermont contributed nearly thirty three thousand men to the union army a large number for a state of its size its bedrooms have a sense of of having participated in a noble inventor endeavor and felt pride  having shared in accomplishing a great and worthy purpose since that time many more absurd from every state in this great union many have given the supreme sacrifice of their own lives that we may live in liberty and in peace most recently remember those we remember those who have given their lives in serving in iraq and afghanistan and in other trouble spots throughout the world this heritage of peace with liberty which is ours is a legacy derived from the courage of those we honor today courage is the single tree most revered in the character of these men and women writers and thinkers through the ages have addressed the subject subject of human courage it is inexorably linked with our freedom with freedom goes its handmaid responsibility for us as citizens to act responsibly is required for maintaining our freedom while we keep in lines today the examples of courage of those who have fought bled and died for this nation we must be reminded that much is required of each of us in return takes courage in peace as well as in war i am rising to do the work of a human being that work of a human being is different for each one of us courage requires that we as human beings stand our ground and risk doing what is right in the face of things that may be terrible awesome or painful shakespear speaks of terrible cars that make flexible the knees of not oaks no matter how weak our knees courage dictates that we stay what are our modes of courage each of us must face for a child at mending wrong doing to a parent for a student facing a difficult examination for a young adult finding a job or buying a home in later years facing serious illness or loss or citizens in general becoming involved in significant issues of these may require courage and in the light of the sacrifices made by those who we honor today may seem of little consequence but it is only by facing our own situations with courage as exemplified by our heroes that we will be able to maintain our character as a free nation although we may not aspire to be heroes we can follow their example in our lives let us then take courage in the exercise of freedom which has been won in battle so thank you and we all know the words in the music to america the beautiful at least the first verse sung last is the third verse without music because i'm not going to sing it to you but you'll hear the music in your heart when i share with you the third verse of america the beautiful and as i do this our service men prepare a salute and then a full for heroes proved in liberating strife what more than self their country loved and mercy more than life america america may god i gold be fine  till all success be nobleness and every gain divine gloating gracious god we thank you for this exercise here this afternoon continue to bless us this day and always make us ever grateful to you and ever grateful to the souls of all those noble men and women who lay down their lives that we and others might be free and for all who currently serve or have served in the past make us eternally and truly grateful for the blessings that they are and for you the author of all blessings and every freedom and every good these things we pray in jesus holy name  and now before we go each to his own place and task remember that it's good to remember remember what you're remembering what the cost has been and what you can do in the future before we go please show your community appreciation to those helping with today's some abrasion underhill jericho fire department