Memorial Day Links at Military.com Our Flag Has Meaning A U.S. naval officer offers some stirring Memorial Day thoughts about the Stars and Stripes. A Growing Tribute: The Honor the Fallen Foundation "'You are not forgotten.' Dave Cruz and the members of the Honor the Fallen foundation want to shout this message from every mountaintop -- every mountaintop of the Seven Summits, to be exact." Memorial Days "For some soldiers every day is Memorial Day ... preparing their fallen brothers and sisters-in-arms for the long trip home." Buddy Finder Want to reconnect with a long-lost fellow veteran? Search a database of over 20 million members. Veterans Stories Discover America's rich military history through these letters and anecdotes. Veterans Benefits & Resources Learn about the benefits you may qualify for. You've served your country well -- let your country serve you. Museum and Memorial Guides You can honor the U.S. military on Memorial Day with a visit to a local museum or memorial. Military and Veteran Discounts Discounts on quality products and services are a 'thank you' for service from America's top companies. America Supports You: 'Packages from Home' Thank You for Your Service Packages From Home is currently having a Memorial Day "Thank You for Your Service" campaign, which they estimate will generate more than 2,000 shoe-box-sized care packages destined for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pearl Harbor Memorial Registry On this special day of observance, pay a lasting tribute to a loved one by including them in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Registry. In remembrance of Memorial Day this year, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund invites you to make a special recognition in honor of the Hero in your life who has sacrificed to preserve the freedoms we all enjoy. Please visit The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund to learn more about this unique opportunity. Military Opinions: On Memorial Day Sarah Smiley: A Day of Remebrance "Since when did Memorial Day become synonymous with shopping? Why has the day we've set aside to honor those who died for our freedom become nothing more than a reason to buy a new mattress?" Joe Galloway: Remember Those Who Served "It is a time to remember all who have fallen in battle serving our country in an unbroken line from Concord's bridge to the latest Marine battles along the Syrian border in Iraq." Spotlight: Paralyzed Veterans of America Johnnie L. Williams entered the U.S. Army on June 13, 2001. Following basic training at Fort Benning, GA, Williams was stationed at Fort Gordon, GA, and received training in satellite communications. He completed that training as a private first class (E-3), and Williams was sent to Germany for three months. In February 2003, he was deployed to Iraq. He served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On May 5, 2003, Williams became injured when the Humvee he was driving in a convoy was sideswiped by what is believed to have been a civilian-operated vehicle. He lost control of his Humvee and in the accident that resulted, Williams sustained a L3/L4-level spinal cord injury. He was retired at the rank of sergeant (E-5). Williams was honorably discharged after incurring his injury. A native of Tampa, FL, Williams is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Spinal Cord Injury Center at the Tampa VA Medical Center. Video of Johnnie L. Williams To find out more about the PVA and how you can help in honoring these special veterans, visit the PVA Page.

I am pleased to join millions of Americans in honoring the brave men and women in uniform -- those who serve today, those who have fallen in battle, and those veterans who proudly served in the past. My father volunteered to serve in the Navy after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Millions enlisted to battle against the tide of tyranny then threatening the world. And I was privileged to serve in the Navy some 50 years ago. Now, more than 50 years later, I count my time in uniform as a most important period in my life. Thousands, if not millions, of others who have served undoubtedly feel the same way.

Military service has always been one of our country's most noble callings. America has long been the defender of liberty -- the country that has stepped forward to defend those who could not defend themselves. This was true from our country's early days at Lexington and Concord, where the earliest citizen soldiers defended their farms and homes, their new country, and the cause of freedom.

In the years that followed, the U.S. armed forces have become freedom's champion -- at Gettysburg; in the forest of the Argonne; on the beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima; in the air during the Berlin blockade; and today in places like Kabul and Baghdad.

This new war we face has required our military to adapt its thinking, and challenged us to prepare in new ways. Yet whatever the mission, whatever the challenge that lies before us, each of you who are serving our country are confronting it with grit and courage. I thank each of you and your families for your service to our country.

When my father passed away some 30 years ago, I found a letter in his papers that he had received from then secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal -- who later became the first secretary of defense. Secretary Forrestal apparently sent this letter to all those who served to arrive after they had returned to civilian life. Noting the historic achievements made by the U.S. military, he wrote: "You have served in the greatest Navy in the world. ... It crushed two enemy fleets at once, receiving their surrenders only four months apart. It brought our land-based air power within bombing range of the enemy and set our ground armies on the beachheads of final victory. ... For your part in these achievements you deserve to be proud as long as you live. The nation you served at a time of crisis will remember you with gratitude."

That letter to my father now hangs on my office wall in the Pentagon. It is a reminder to me of our country's fighting spirit. And I see that same spirit in the actions of the men and women in uniform every day. It is that spirit that we honor on this holiday: the selfless duty and devotion passed down from generations who served before, and the courage of those who sacrificed their lives in service to our country.

Our country is proud of every member of our armed forces -- volunteers all -- and we are deeply grateful to those who have sacrificed for the cause of liberty. May God bless each of you, may God bless your families, and may God bless our wonderful country.