Memorial Day 2017 Quotes: 20 Sayings To Honor The Armed Forces On This Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday which was created to honor Americans who died fighting for their country. The holiday, which started after the Civil War in 1868, marks the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks the end of it. Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day, which observes those who served — or are currently serving — in the U.S. military.

Americans traditionally observe Memorial Day through ceremonies, parades and placing flowers and flags on the gravesites of family and friends, who sacrificed their lives throughout the more than 200 years of war history of the nation.

Read: Memorial Day 2017 - What Will Remain Open And What Will be Closed?

To honor the brave soldiers who died during their military service, here are some quotes courtesy of Brainy Quote and Quotery.

1. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy

2. “The dead soldier’s silence sings our national anthem.” — Aaron Kilbourn

3. “The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission.” — John F. Kennedy

4. “I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism.” — Bob Riley

5. “For love of country, they accepted death.” — James Garfield

6. “The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.” — Minot J. Savage

7. “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.” — Mark Twain

8. “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” — Billy Graham

9. “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” — John F. Kennedy

10. “The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” — Jeff Miller.

11. “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” — Bill Clinton

12. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” — Nathan Hale

13. “Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.” — Bob Marley

14. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree.” — Thomas Campbell

15. “What’s right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity, intellect and resources to do something about them.” — Henry Ford

16. “There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens can not cure.” — Dwight David Eisenhower

17. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” — Joseph Campbell

18. “The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children.” — William Harvard

19. “They are dead, but they live in each Patriot’s breast, and their names are engraven on honor’s bright crest.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

20. “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” — George Washington