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37 Memorial Day Quotes to Honor Our National Heroes

Honor the brave men and women of the nation's armed forces with these famous words.

Hundreds of American flags planted on the lawn
Wayne Marinovich/Shutterstock

Memorial Day was first established in 1868 to commemorate the lives of the soldiers killed during the Civil War. Also known as "Decoration Day," the event now honors all Americans lost in war. Below, we've listed several Memorial Day Quotes to help celebrate the brave men and women of the nation's armed forces along with all others who have ever signed up to serve their country.

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Inspirational Memorial Day Quotes

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." \u2014Nathan HaleBest Life
  1. “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” —Billy Graham
  2. “I got to fight on till I leave here, and I hope I leave some footprints.” —Mattie Jones
  3. "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." —Nathan Hale
  4. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
  5. "Memorial Day remains one of America's most cherished patriotic observances. The spirit of this day has not changed—it remains a day to honor those who died defending our freedom and democracy." —Doc Hastings
  6. “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
  7. "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." —John F. Kennedy
  8. "Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." —Eleanor Roosevelt
  9. “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” —Bob Dylan

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Short Memorial Day Quotes

\u201cOne flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one Nation, evermore!\u201d \u2014Oliver Wendell HolmesBest Life
  1. "The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree." —Thomas Campbell
  2. "Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."George Washington
  3. “Liberty is the breath of life to nations.” —George Bernard Shaw
  4. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” —James Allen
  5. “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one Nation, evermore!” —Oliver Wendell Holmes
  6. "When duty calls, that is when character counts." —William Safire
  7. “The secret of happiness is freedom; the secret of freedom is courage.” —Carrie Jones
  8. “He who is brave is free.” —Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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Best Memorial Day Quotes for Friends

\u201cThe legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a wonderful example.\u201d \u2014Benjamin DisraeliBest Life
  1. "Your silent tents of green / We deck with fragrant flowers / Yours has the suffering been / The memory shall be ours." —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  2. “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” —Benjamin Disraeli
  3. "So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good." —Helen Keller
  4. “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” —Elmer Davis
  5. "It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle." —Norman Schwarzkopf
  6. "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 A. Baldwin

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Memorial Day Quotes for Loved Ones We've Lost

\u201cTo live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.\u201d \u2014Thomas CampbellBest Life
  1. “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” —James A. Garfield
  2. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” —Theodore Roosevelt
  3. “Let their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.” —Daniel Webster
  4. “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” —Thomas Campbell
  5. "The wind is us―it gathers and remembers all our voices, then send them talking and telling through the leaves and the fields." ―Truman Capote
  6. “Who kept the faith and fought the fight; the glory theirs, the duty ours.” —Wallace Bruce
  7. “May we never forget our fallen comrades. Freedom isn’t free.” —Sgt. Major Bill Paxton
  8. "Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay." —Barack Obama

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Memorial Day Words of Appreciation

"I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism." \u2014Bob RileyBest Life
  1. “The veterans of our military services have put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we enjoy.” —Judd Gregg
  2. “We must dare to be great, and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage." —Theodore Roosevelt
  3. "I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism." —Bob Riley
  4. The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” —Jeff Miller
  5. "Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices." —Harry S. Truman
  6. "How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes." —Maya Angelou