Mark McKinnon Quotes

At a family's most difficult time, I want to make sure at a minimum that they have the very basic of comforts: the ability to grieve their loss privately and the knowledge that their country is grateful for their loved one's sacrifice and service.

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... You, the mothers, who sent your sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.

Dignified and respectful quietude speaks much louder than pomp and circumstance when it comes to remembering those who died.

I would like America to remember those who have served and those that we've lost and their families.

We all wore a 21 patch that one season as a silent tribute to our deceased teammate Roberto.

My only rule: I never photographed the face of the dead, ever, out of respect for the families.

I touched Roger's bat and held it to my heart. My bat will lie next to his. I'm damn proud of that.

I honored the fallen enemy by placing a stone on his beautiful grave.

Dad's funeral was standing room only; most in attendance were strangers to me. At the back, a lone Marine stood silently, then left. People told me he'd saved their life or helped them in their darkest hour.

I relate with military families and Gold Star families. Gold Star families are families where somebody didn't come home. My father died in 1949. He was a flight instructor in the Army Air Corp.

I do my best to make every word from my pen a cry from the heart for the souls of the dead.

No man wants more war if he's planned memorial services for fallen comrades, carried their flag-draped caskets off a plane, and buried them at Arlington National Cemetery.

I know the pride of carrying our nation's flag abroad - and I have felt the grief of burying too many friends beneath that flag at home.

Every officer, every deputy, every agent we lose is one too many. It's a loss to our organizations, of course, it's a loss to our community, and most importantly, it's a devastating loss to the loved ones they leave behind.

There is nothing triumphant or boastful in the way we mourn the dead and pay our veterans the respect they deserve.

Personally, it was a big honor for me meeting so many families of the fallen soldiers and hearing their stories.

I want you to say 'Never Forget' because when you say 'Never Forget' you're thanking that veteran in a different way. You're allowing them to be thankful for the idea for the fact that as an American you're in it with them. We're in it together and we don't forget together.

To those of you mourn the loss of a loved one today, my heart goes out to you. We remember that the blessings that we enjoy as Americans came at a dear cost. Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we cannot ever fully repay. But we can honor their sacrifice, and we must. We must honor it in our own lives by holding their memories close to our hearts, and heeding the example they set.

The [Vietnam War Memorial] Wall became a magnet for citizens of every generation, class, race, and relationship to the war perhaps because it is the only great public monument that allows the anesthetized holes in the heart to fill with a truly national grief.

With the tears a Land hath shed. Their graves should ever be green.

I still miss my mom every day, but when I see the smiles on the faces of the people that I help I know I am honoring her legacy.

I didn't survive because I was stronger than others. I survived because my family and friends helped me to survive. They took my place. My job is to give them back their dignity, tell their story, and say their names.

I hope the families of those who perished on the U.S.S. Oklahoma will find comfort and peace in knowing their loved ones' service in defense of our Nation helped in the ultimate fight to protect our liberty.