Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
In a cemetery in Somme, France, 719 soldiers from many different nations
lay to rest underneath American soil,
their names engraved into white stone crosses.
Staff Sergeant Erik Ellingson is here today to pay his respects to a man he never knew.
On behalf of my family, I represent them
in honoring the memory of Knute Ellingson, my father's uncle,
who served in World War I and died at the Battle of Cantigny on the second day of the offense.
You can see it on the faces of the veterans,
on the eyes of the general who commands the division,
on the hearts of every man and woman in uniform.
It's not an emotion or an ideal; it's an action known as honor.
To me, honor and respect--and I take it to a level
probably much higher than we can ever, ever think--
but it means to really stop and think about and thank those who have made a sacrifice
in behalf of a grateful nation, to say to our war dead
and those who are currently serving, "We won't forget you."
"We honor your service and we honor your sacrifice."
Honor is a selfless act.
It is a concept that reaches far beyond standard military traditions and courtesies.
Honor is essential to our survival.
By honoring the past, we protect our future.
719 names,
21 guns,
1 flag.
In remembrance of the unforgotten. [♪"Taps" playing♪]
Specialist Cody Wilson, Somme, France.
[♪techno music playing♪]
That's the Army Today from Soldiers Radio and Television, Washington.