Republican and Democratic senators don’t get along often, fighting over complex policy topics, angling for the support of the American people and taking shots at one another in the newspapers and on television.
Things are different on Memorial Day, a 24-hour period America has dedicated to honoring the men and women who have died in service to the nation. Senators forgot about partisan bickering Monday, offering up their heartfelt thanks for the American military and those who gave their lives fighting for the U.S.
Today we honor the Americans who sacrificed everything to secure the blessings of liberty. Family and friends to some, heroes to all – who lived, fought and died for the safety and future of a great and good nation. God bless them and grant them perpetual peace. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/OtdTAd3DS5
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) May 28, 2018
Memorial Day is a day of gratitude for the courageous men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the armed forces and defending the freedoms we enjoy every day. Today, and every day, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. pic.twitter.com/yKnBscvvj0
— Joe Manchin (@JoeManchinWV) May 28, 2018
All 3 of my brothers served & came home safe. But many do not. I had the chance to honor a special group of veterans by dedicating a new POW/MIA Chair of Honor in the Capitol. It reminds us of those who haven’t returned. On #MemorialDay, we remember & honor their sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/wMOa6QBr2g
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 28, 2018
Wishing you a safe, peaceful Memorial Day – remembering heroes who sacrificed all for this great nation and its precious freedoms.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) May 28, 2018
Today we honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/vGNRNDw01M
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) May 28, 2018
Today, and every day, we honor the memories of those who have fallen and reaffirm our commitment to those who return home. As Americans, we must remember our duty to pay homage to their sacrifice not only with our words, but through our actions. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/kGsA61a0cV
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) May 28, 2018
As we gather today with friends and family, we must never forget those for which this day honors- the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who gave “last full measure of devotion” to their country.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 28, 2018
This #MemorialDay, I hope you will take a moment to pause and reflect on the valor of our brave fallen. We should always honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation. pic.twitter.com/LumHzhQ65R
— Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) May 28, 2018
On Memorial Day, we take time to commemorate the brave men and women in uniform who have given their lives in service to our country. – Joe pic.twitter.com/OSmpawFUrB
— Senator Joe Donnelly (@SenDonnelly) May 28, 2018
This #MemorialDay, and every day, may we pause to remember those service members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I could live in the greatest country on the face of this Earth and enjoy the freedoms that make it so. pic.twitter.com/Map9Arsdy3
— Johnny Isakson (@SenatorIsakson) May 28, 2018
#MemorialDay offers us a renewed opportunity to come together as a nation to honor those who have laid down their lives in service to our country. Those who have fought & died for our nation have secured our freedoms, & we are forever indebted to them. #MemorialDay2018 pic.twitter.com/XXXHMMNoMM
— Senator John Hoeven (@SenJohnHoeven) May 28, 2018
Claire: “The brave men and women who take up the call of service to protect the country we love represent the very best of it—we owe a great debt to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend it.” https://t.co/kLwoMQZYID
— McCaskill Office (@McCaskillOffice) May 28, 2018
On #MemorialDay, I am humbled to join with citizens from across Maine and the Nation to honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. https://t.co/isuJyqXSBh
— Senator Angus King (@SenAngusKing) May 28, 2018
On this day, we honor the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe and free. God bless you and your families, and God bless America. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/61CxDBm5Be
— Roger Wicker (@RogerWicker) May 28, 2018
Today we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Remember their stories, and let their stories drive you to action to help all of America’s veterans and their families.
— Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) May 28, 2018
Memorial Day was originally called “Decoration Day.” The celebration began three years after the end of the Civil War and was intended to commemorate the sacrifices of those soldiers. (RELATED: WATCH: A Message From The Men Who Guard The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier)
Former Union General and representative of Ohio, James Garfield, gave a speech at the first Decoration Day ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. (RELATED: Here Are The Five Most Patriotic Cities In America)
“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue,” Garfield said. “For the love of country they accepted death; and in that act they resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
Starting in 1873 with the state of New York, Memorial Day became a legal holiday declared by the states. Toward the end of the 1800s, many states and local municipalities had declared Memorial Day a legal holiday and celebrated it accordingly.
Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1971, officially marking the celebration of Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.
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