Fairbury honors fallen heroes

The previous Memorial Day Service shown at Graceland Cemetery in Fairbury, file photo.

A message of remembering and honoring the legacies of those who didn’t make it back was shared with those attending the annual Fairbury Memorial Day service Monday at Graceland Cemetery.

Fairbury American Legion Commander Gerry Brandt encouraged everyone to honor the fallen by telling their stories, speaking their names and ensuring children and grandchildren understand the freedoms they inherit were paid for with courage, service and sacrifice.

Brandt also explained the need to never forget the families of our fallen as children will still be missing a parent, spouses will be without life partners and parents will continue grieving for heroic sons and daughters who died too early.

The following is Brandt’s 2026 Memorial Day speech shared at Graceland Cemetery:

“Veterans, friends and honored guests,

Since the founding of the United States, it is estimated that 558 million Americans and immigrants have lived in this country. More than 1.1 million of them have died defending the United States in wars and combat actions since the American Revolution. They each have stories to tell. The crosses at Normandy. The graves at Arlington. The markers at Punchbowl. The fallen heroes who rest here in the Fairbury area cemeteries and those who rest in places unknown.

We are here today for them. We do not forget. How could we ever fail to remember the sacrifices that veterans have made and continue to make on our behalf?

We are here for those who died to start this great nation. We are here to remember those lost in the Civil War. We are here for the 2,341 American servicemembers who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor 85 years ago as well as all those who died in Europe and Asia in two World Wars. We are here for the 3,100 combat deaths and thousands more who succumbed to the elements in Korea.

We are here for those who did not come home alive from the jungles of Vietnam. We are here for the men and women who continue to lose their lives during operations in the Middle East. And we are here for the too many who came home and have since perished due to their service to our country.

From Bunker Hill to Baghdad, Americans from communities throughout the United States have answered their nation’s call and made the ultimate sacrifice. They died, so others may live. It is an ethos shared by so many of America’s fallen heroes. From those who absorbed the blast of a grenade while saving their friends, to those who died rescuing crew from a sinking ship, we take time this day to reflect on ordinary Americans who exhibited extraordinary valor.

The families started and children produced by those they gave their lives for will always be their legacy. To honor the legacy of the fallen, we should all commit to the freedom offered by the greatest nation on Earth. A land where patriotism eclipses politics, where the American flag is displayed proudly and frequently and where military veterans are society’s true celebrities.

We must NEVER forget the families of our fallen. Long after the battlefield guns have been silenced and the bombs stop exploding, the children of our fallen warriors will still be missing a parent. Spouses will be without their life partners. Parents will continue to grieve for their heroic sons and daughters that died way too early.

As American citizens, we need to be present for them, not just on this day but every day. Nobody can replace these fallen heroes – especially in the eyes of their families – but we can offer shoulders to cry on, a helping hand when needed and assurances that their loved one’s sacrifice will not be forgotten.

There are many ways to honor the fallen. While we can still enjoy recreational activities over Memorial Day weekend, we take this moment – this special moment – to remember the price that was paid for us to enjoy our American way of life.

Remembering and honoring the legacies of those who didn’t make it back is the true meaning of Memorial Day. Let us remember that tyrannical regimes have been toppled and genocides stopped because Americans sacrificed life and limb. Let us remember that terrorist plots were foiled and killers brought to justice because Americans were willing to pay a high price. Let us remember that without a U.S. Military, the world would be a far more oppressive and darker place. Let us remember that freedom is not free and has no greater friend than the American soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman and Space Force Guardian.

The Preamble to the Constitution of The American Legion charges our organization to ‘Preserve the memories and incidents of our association in the All Wars and Conflicts.’ The true way to honor the fallen is to live in a way worthy of their sacrifice. That means strengthening our communities, helping our fellow veterans, supporting military families and teaching the next generation what this day truly means.

We must tell their stories. We must speak their names. We must ensure that our children and grandchildren understand that the freedoms they inherit were paid for with courage, service and sacrifice.

Abraham Lincoln said a nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure. As right as he was, we should also ask ourselves, would a national that didn’t honor its heroes be a nation in which we would want to live? Your being here today answers that question. We are here for them. Let us never forget!

Thank you, and may God bless our veterans and our Gold Star families and God Bless America.”