Quotes for Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Remembrance services
Remembrance services call for words that are dignified and true. These lines come from the speeches, poems and scripture most often read at memorials, each checked against its source.
The last words of the Gettysburg Address, spoken at a cemetery for Union soldiers. Lincoln turned a funeral into a promise that the war was being fought to keep democracy itself alive.
Read the full explanation →The greatest love a person can show is to give up their life for others. Jesus says it at the Last Supper, the night before his death.
Read the full explanation →The last words reported of a 21-year-old American spy hanged by the British. They were written down years later, and they echo a line from a popular play of the time.
Read the full explanation →The dead of the First World War speak from their graves among the poppies, asking the living to carry on their cause and not break faith with them.
Read the full explanation →Churchill's tribute to the fighter pilots of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, a few thousand airmen defending a nation of millions.
Read the full explanation →Spoken weeks before the Civil War ended and six weeks before Lincoln was killed. He asked the winning side to heal the nation without revenge.
Read the full explanation →No quotes match these filters yet. New quotes are added every week.
How to use a quote at a memorial service
Memorial Day honors those who died in service; Veterans Day honors all who served. Choose words that fit the day, and if living veterans are present, speak to them as well as about the fallen.
Read slowly and let silence follow. Lines like "In Flanders fields the poppies blow" or "Greater love hath no man than this" carry their own weight and do not need explaining.
Local names matter more than famous ones. A quote is a good way to open, but the heart of a remembrance address is the people from your own town, school or unit.