Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor and remember the veterans throughout Michigan's history who have given their lives on behalf of our country. Even before Michigan was a State, these brave patriots have been willing to risk everything--even their lives--in order to defend our Nation, our people, and our way of life. Perhaps the stakes were never higher than in World War II. Totalitarianism threatened free countries and free people, echoes of which we are tragically seeing today in Ukraine. Americans--and Michiganders--would not stand by and watch democracy die. We planted victory gardens. We purchased war bonds. And we built an Arsenal of Democracy strong enough to defeat dictators and defend freedom around the world. More than half a million Michigan men and women served in our Armed Forces. For more than 15,000 of them, it was the last thing they ever did. We can never repay them for their sacrifice. But we can remember them, honor them, and share their stories. That is the aim of the Michigan World War II Legacy Memorial in Royal Oak. Ground was broken for this special place just last month. The memorial will feature statues representing life on the battlefront and the homefront. A series of pillars will stand for Michigan's contributions to the war. A brick walkway will tell the stories of those who fought and sacrificed. And a wall of stars will commemorate the lives that were lost.…”