On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard), and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.
Traditional sentence spoken at the ceremony of the presentation of the flag to the surviving relatives of a service member.
These are the words no spouse, parent, or other relative wishes to hear. Yet, this coming Monday is Memorial Day. It is a Federal holiday. All too many think of it as just another three-day weekend. For those who served and their families, it is much more. It is the memory of our family, our fellow soldiers, of a promise made and kept. We remember those who have died keeping that promise.
In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” This is a time to remember that this Scripture has a practical application. It does not refer merely to Jesus but to all who give their lives for others.
Enjoy yourself this weekend. But do not forget to pray for the souls of those who have given their lives for others and for the surviving families.
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