Memorial Day Observance – 2025

Honoring the Fallen, Embracing Their Legacy

As we gather this Memorial Day, our hearts turn reverently toward the brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. This day—solemn, sacred, and resolute—is not merely a date on the calendar, but a time set aside to remember those who died so that we might live freely.

This year is especially significant. It marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, and with it, the culmination of a year-long national commemoration to honor Vietnam veterans and their families. Their sacrifices are etched into the very soil of our country and the spirit of our people. We at the D’Andre D. Lampkin Foundation feel deeply compelled to recognize not only their courage in battle, but their quiet, enduring strength in returning home and carrying the invisible burdens of war.

It is a rare and extraordinary person who chooses to serve in the armed forces. To wear the uniform is to make a commitment that transcends self-interest—a vow to protect a country that is, like all of us, imperfect and evolving. Service in our military is an act of deep humility and uncommon valor. It is a willingness to put the nation first, above personal gain, comfort, or even life itself. Despite our divisions and debates, there are men and women among us who say, “I will stand for all of you.”

It’s a sobering and profound reality that our freedom is built upon the shoulders of those willing to fight and fall for it. Memorial Day is not only about reflection—it is a call to unity. And as we remember the fallen, we must also lift up the living veterans who walk among us—those who carry memories of comrades lost and battlefields left behind. This Memorial Day, I ask you to find one such veteran. Look them in the eye. Thank them. Remind them that their fallen comrades are not forgotten. That their lives were not given in vain. That from their sacrifice, we draw inspiration to live better, love deeper, and serve more selflessly.

As we reflect on this anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end, I am reminded of a powerful speech delivered by President Ronald Reagan on May 26, 1986, during the Memorial Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. His words still ring true with piercing clarity:

“Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again… The three are touching each other, as if they’re supporting each other, helping each other on. I know that many veterans of Vietnam will gather today, some of them perhaps by the wall. And they’re still helping each other on… They learned not to rely on us; they learned to rely on each other.”

This imagery of wounded strength and quiet brotherhood mirrors the very vision we hold at the D’Andre D. Lampkin Foundation. We believe that community—like those servicemen leaning on one another—is our greatest hope for resilience. We must rely on each other, support each other, and build a nation not just of individuals, but of neighbors.

Let us not forget the missing, either. Those who never came home. Those whose fates remain unknown but whose names are etched in stone and memory. Their absence leaves a hollow space at every ceremony, every family table, every moment of reflection.

We owe our fallen heroes—and the families who bore the cost—a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. And just as President Reagan once prayed that no more heroes would have to die for us, I echo that same prayer in 2025. May peace someday render the battlefield obsolete.

But we all know: memorials—though beautifully carved and deeply symbolic—leave a space less desired for the men and women who are still willing to lay down their lives to preserve ours. Their willingness is a heavy, sacred gift we must never take for granted.

So today, let us remember. Let us honor. And let us live our lives in a way that is worthy of their sacrifice.