“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.”
Laurence Binyon
RemembrancePoetry
Memorial Day Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · MEMORIAL DAY
Memorial Day Quotes
Read the best Memorial Day quotes honouring fallen heroes, from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, In Flanders Fields, Laurence Binyon, Rupert Brooke, JFK and more.
“At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”
Laurence Binyon
RemembranceTribute
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row.”
John McCrae
PoppiesPoetry
“We are the Dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved.”
John McCrae
Fallen SoldiersPoetry
“If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.”
John McCrae
DutyRemembrance
“That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg AddressSacrifice
“The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg AddressHonour
“From these honoured dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.”
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg AddressDevotion
“The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”
Abraham Lincoln (Letter to Mrs. Bixby)
Gold Star FamiliesFreedom
“To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”
Abraham Lincoln
VeteransCare
“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honours, the men it remembers.”
John F. Kennedy
RemembranceNation
“The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.”
Calvin Coolidge
RemembranceWarning
“Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time.”
General John A. Logan (Order establishing Memorial Day, 1868)
OriginsFlowers
“In our youths, our hearts were touched with fire.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
YouthCourage
“We have shared the incommunicable experience of war; we have felt, we still feel, the passion of life to its top.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
VeteransExperience
“They summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens.”
James A. Garfield
SacrificeVirtue
“On Fame's eternal camping-ground their silent tents are spread, and Glory guards, with solemn round, the bivouac of the dead.”
Theodore O'Hara
CemeteriesPoetry
“Under the sod and the dew, waiting the judgment-day; love and tears for the Blue, tears and love for the Gray.”
Francis Miles Finch
ReconciliationPoetry
“They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines.”
Robert G. Ingersoll
FreedomRest
“Spirit, that made those heroes dare to die, and leave their children free.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
HeroesFreedom
“O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!”
Katharine Lee Bates
HeroesPatriotism
“Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring!”
Samuel Francis Smith
FreedomPatriotic Songs
“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
Julia Ward Howe
FaithPatriotic Songs
“Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die.”
Theodore Roosevelt
CourageSacrifice
“Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”
Douglas MacArthur
SoldiersLegacy
Related Topics
About Memorial Day Quotes
Memorial Day is a day to pause and remember the men and women who gave their lives in military service. Observed in the United States on the last Monday of May, it began after the Civil War as "Decoration Day," when families laid flowers on soldiers' graves. Today it remains a time for gratitude, reflection and quiet respect, and its spirit is shared by every nation that honours its fallen heroes.
This collection brings together 200 Memorial Day quotes, starting with classic words from Abraham Lincoln, John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields," Laurence Binyon, Rupert Brooke and John F. Kennedy, followed by original WebFunFacts tributes, messages and remembrance quotes. For more on the past, explore our [History Quotes](/topics/history-quotes).
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Memorial Day quotes.
What is Memorial Day?
Memorial Day is a US holiday held on the last Monday of May to honour the military men and women who died in service. It began after the Civil War as Decoration Day, when people decorated soldiers' graves with flowers.
What is the most famous Memorial Day quote?
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, with its resolve "that these dead shall not have died in vain," is one of the most quoted. Laurence Binyon's "At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them" is also widely used.
Why are poppies linked to remembrance?
John McCrae's 1915 poem "In Flanders Fields" described poppies growing among soldiers' graves. Moina Michael then started the tradition of wearing a red poppy "in honour of our dead."
What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?
Memorial Day honours those who died in military service, while Veterans Day honours all who have served, living or dead.
What is a good short Memorial Day quote?
Try "We will remember them," "I shall not wholly die," "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance," or "This story shall the good man teach his son."
What did JFK say about remembering heroes?
John F. Kennedy said, "A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honours, the men it remembers."