11 Patriotic Quotes For Memorial Day

If you work in the United States, you're probably gearing up for a relaxing three day weekend filled with extra sleep, rejuvenation, and swimming pools. But the reason many people have the day off of work this coming Monday is because, each year, on the last Monday of May, the country celebrates Memorial Day. In honor of the freedoms that American service people have fought and died to defend, I've got some patriotic quotes that will put you in the right mindset going into this long weekend.

Memorial Day, to be specific, is the national holiday during which Americans remember and honor servicemen and women who died in active duty. The holiday was originally conceived in the 1860s to honor those who died in the American Civil War. Memorial Day is different from Veterans Day in that Veterans Day celebrates all war veterans, not just those who lost their lives.

Take some time out during this long weekend to be thankful for the freedoms that we have as Americans, even if things aren't always perfect. It's even more important to put that gratitude in perspective in this turbulent election year with the 24 hour rhetoric machine going at full tilt and the cable news media painting a picture of a cartoon America. So, here are some patriotic quotes to help you remember the importance of Memorial Day.

1. On the essence of the American Dream

"The American Dream, whether attainable or not, is to have freedom, freedom in all things. To go as far as ambition impels us, in work, in play, and religion and even in love." — Maya Angelou

2. On where to find inspiration

"Every day, the people I meet inspire me... every day, they make me proud... every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth." — Michelle Obama

3. On the country's commitment to freedom

"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

4. On what one man is willing to sacrifice for his country

“There are some things worth dying for. And I think the country is one of them." — Edward Snowden

5. On America's building blocks

"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." — Harry S. Truman

6. On one man's dream

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood." — Martin Luther King Jr.

7. On why Americans are a tough breed

"Americans are fighters. We are tough, resourceful, and creative. If we have the chance to fight on a level playing field, where everyone pays a fair share, and everyone has a real shot, then no one can stop us." — Elizabeth Warren

8. On why debates are liberty in action

"The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom." — Lady Bird Johnson

9. On what it means to be American

"Americans never quit." — Douglas MacArthur

10. On problem solving

"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America." — Bill Clinton

11. On giving thanks

"Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay, but we can honor their sacrifice." — President Barack Obama

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