american presidents memorial day speeches own words.

A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment places flags at the headstones of service members buried at Arlington National Cemetery, ahead of Memorial Day, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

In their words: How recent presidents have honored America’s fallen on Memorial Day

From Arlington National Cemetery outside the nation’s capital to the American burial ground in Normandy, France, presidents customarily commemorate Memorial Day on hallowed ground. In somber wreath-laying ceremonies and poignant speeches, presidents remember the military members who died serving the country, even as many in the United States associate the holiday with a three-day weekend and shopping sales.

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