Image by Soaptree via Flickr

On the cold afternoon of November 19, 1863 United States President Abraham Lincoln joined with over 15,000 people in a field on the outskirts of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The crowd was gathered for the purpose of dedicating the fresh graves of a newly created Soldiers National Cemetery; location of one of the most vicious and deadly battles of the raging Civil War.

The featured speaker of this event was U.S. Senator Edward Everett, a popular orator who chose to wax poetic for over two full hours to the [extremely patient] crowd. After he sat down, President Lincoln was asked to give “a few appropriate remarks” in closing. Lincoln spoke for only four minutes, and yet his words have become one of the most enduring and memorable speeches in American history. I feel his words stand as a solid American oath for Memorial Day, and an enduring anthem for every day. Continue reading →