This Memorial Day, all of us at Spirit of America remember and honor those who died in service to our nation. The freedoms that we enjoy today were made possible by their sacrifices.

To pay our respects, members of our team went to Arlington National Cemetery this week to place flowers at the graves of some of the 43,000 men and women buried there.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery
(Photo by Spirit of America) 

Arlington National Cemetery is not far from the Spirit of America headquarters. It opened in 1864 and honors those who served our nation from the Revolutionary War to the present. It is home to the Tomb of Unknown Soldier. Two presidents are also buried there — William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy.

For our digital marketing manager, Anthony Nguyen, Arlington National Cemetery is a deeply personal place. One of his friends, a Marine who served in Afghanistan, is buried there.

“Arlington is a stark reminder of rights we cherish and the sacrifices made to secure them,” Anthony told me. “Visiting the cemetery for me was an opportunity to reflect on that and a reminder that freedom is a value we must never take for granted.”

Our group arrived in time to see the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then laid Gerber daisies and tulips at the base of several headstones.

Laying flowers, flags, and wreaths at the headstones is a tradition at Arlington. The first Memorial Day — then known as Decoration Day — was observed at the cemetery in 1868.

Andrea Sweeney, our senior accountant, wanted to honor our fallen servicemembers as well as reflect on our collective history. As she laid flowers, she said, “I felt a great sense of sadness and gratitude for the amazing soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the freedom for all Americans.”

This weekend, please join me in remembering and honoring all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our beloved nation.

Jim Hake
Founder & CEO