Memorial Day will look different this year for many Americans.

Instead of heading out to a Veterans Memorial Cemetery, joining a local remembrance ceremony at a memorial, or heading out to join their friends at a local Veterans Service Organization post, many Americans will honor and celebrate the lives of the men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation from their own homes.

While we cannot be together this year to celebrate the sacrifice of 244 years of American servicemembers, we cannot forget to remember and honor their memories.

Since the founding of our country in 1776, more than a million American sons and daughters have put their lives on the line for the sake of peace and freedom.

They put their lives on the line to serve their fellow countrymen and to protect the enduring principle that freedom is a birthright for all men and women.

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who answered the call to duty, those who heard the call to serve in the defense of principles greater than themselves.

It is a time to remember those who cherished liberty and loved freedom enough to sacrifice their lives in the preservation of peace for their fellow countrymen.

Because those courageous men and women gave everything and paid the ultimate price, we are able to live today in gratitude and remembrance.

We must also remember to hold close in our hearts the Gold Star families on Memorial Day. For Gold Star families, the loss is real and personal. Their son or daughter, their brother or sister – Memorial Day hits close to home as they share memories of their departed loved one.

If you know a Gold Star family, I encourage you to reach out on Memorial Day and share some kind words of reassurance and support.

As Americans, it is our solemn obligation to remember the lives of every American servicemember and the price of their service. The sacred memory of their sacrifice continues to live in our hearts, and we remain eternally grateful to those who gave so much in the defense of us all.

On Monday, May 25th, we encourage all Georgians, young and old, to honor those who died in service to our nation. 

Please take a moment to pause and remember our fallen heroes who gave their lives in service to our nation, and say, “Thank you.”

They will never be forgotten.

May God bless our fallen servicemembers, our current active duty service members, their families, and the United States of America.

— Mike Roby, Commissioner