Public Statement

May 28, 2001

Rep. Bob Damron
Memorial Day Remarks
Camp Nelson National Cemetery

Thank you for that kind welcome. It is not often that I find myself among such distinguished company that I address, here today. IТm very proud to be part of this gathering, and particularly to join you in this special place Еa place that played such an important role in our history.

It's impossible to stand on this spot and not hear the echoes from the past. Imagine what Camp Nelson must have looked like in 1864 and 1865, when it was a busy depot and recruitment center for the Union Army.

Now we admire its scenic beauty Е. but the Union Army admired it for its strength. It must have been quite a scene back then..with barracks, tents, office buildings, and hospitals. More than 300 buildings and fortifications were put up on Camp Nelson's 4,000 acres.

During its brief existence, Camp Nelson was critical to keeping the Union Army supplied with goods and troops, Е.but perhaps its greatest significance was being one of the largest recruitment camps for African American soldiers.

For thousands of slaves.. enlisting here was their ticket to freedom, at the end of their military service . . . Black or white. . . male or female . . . regardless of personal circumstances or station in life . . . from the American Revolution to today . . . our military personnel have sacrificed their time . . . their energy . . . and in many cases their livesЕ. for our country .. for our liberty Е and for the freedoms we enjoy every day.

225 years ago our founding fathers brought forth this new nation by proclaiming for all the world to know Е

УThat all men are created equal Е.. endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Ф

Freedoms we all share today SOLELY because of the commitment, dedication and the sacrifice of those who have offered up their lives Е.. so that our nation ЕЕ so founded in freedom Е.. might live.

In this day and age, it may seem old fashion to talk about love of our country . . . and about patriotism. But patriotism is truly what made . . . and still makes . . . our country great.

It embodies the true spirit of sacrifice and encourages us to renew our own dedication to the great principles on which our Country was built . . . and continues to represent, .. around the world.

Memorial Day is more than the day when our local pools open, or is the beginning of the summer holiday season. On this sacred day, we honor those Americans who died fighting for our freedom.

We must tell the stories of those who fought and died in freedomТs cause. We must tell their stories because those who have lost loved ones must knowЕ that a greatful Nation will always remember.

We must tell their stories so that our children and grandchildren will understand what our lives might have been like, Е had it not been for their sacrifice.

It is therefore, .. a day for all of us to rememberЕ.

To Remember , those who have fallen Е in the line of dutyЕ
Е from Bunker Hill, to Yorktown
Е from Antitam & Gettysburg to Perryville & Mill Springs
Е from the beaches of Normandy to the Jungles of Southeast Asia and the deserts of the Middle East.

Patriots that gave that last measure of devotion Е a price they paid willinglyЕ because they loved their country and everything it stands for.

Their sacrificeЕ so that we might enjoy the freedoms promised by our founding fathers 225 years ago.

It is a day for each of us to stop and reflect Е what freedom means to each of us.

A day for each of us to remember how precious freedom is Е..

And how high a price Е. must be paid for it.

It is a day for all of us to honor and remember our heroes..

President Calvin Coolidge once said, "the nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.Ф

There are many ways to honor those heroes. We can build monuments. We can decorate their graves in cemeteries like this one.

But we can . . . and we should . . . go beyond monuments, flags and flowers and dedicate our lives to making certain our loved ones did not die in vain.

They died defending a commitment to ideals. . A commitment to freedom . . . to be able to make your own decisions . . . to worship freely. . to have individual rights and Е to have them guaranteed and protected . . .

ЕЕ.To Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It is, therefore,.. up to you and I Еto ensure that we guarantee those same rights to future generations.

I am often reminded of President Abraham LincolnТs comments in that little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvia when he saidЕ..

УThe world will little note what we say here, .. but it can never forget what those who sacrificed and died, did here. It is for us the living; rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work Е.which they who fought hereЕ. have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotionЕ.

that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedomЕ.

And that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth,Ф

On this Memorial Day 2001, Е

A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Е

let us resolve to remember the sacrifice made for us not just this day but every day.

Everyday, We see the Stars and Stripes waving proudly over our countryЕ. let us remember

Every day we see a disabled or homeless veteran Е.. let us remember, and

Everyday we see a flag draped coffin of a veteran who has now joined his comrades in arms Е. let us remember.

In paying tribute to our veterans, we are in fact, paying tribute to the great heritage we all share . . . and we show the world that indeed, we have not forgotten.

May God bless the families of all whom we honor.

And may God bless our great country Е.

The land of the free and the home of the brave.

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