May 25, 2026
- 1 minute ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
Periodically, I ask my friend, medically retired Major William Ostan, to share a post with our Give Him 15 family. He always accommodates when his health allows. I am indebted to Will– he not only paid a great physical price for me (and you), but he also introduced me to the Appeal To Heaven flag, the story of which impacted me greatly. Will bleeds red, white, and blue. His post will inspire you today. The title is:
Inspiration from Billy Graham and Dwight Eisenhower
As Americans celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with barbecues and baseball games, parades and parties, which are all appropriate, it is imperative that we also spend focused time remembering the purpose for this special day – namely, to honor the sacrifices of the military fallen and their families. Today is the 55th commemoration of Memorial Day in the 250th year of our beloved country’s exceptional history. As such, I thought it would be appropriate to glean wisdom about the meaning of this noteworthy day from the relationship between one of America’s greatest preachers and greatest presidents.
Billy Graham and Dwight Eisenhower enjoyed a close friendship that spanned multiple decades.(1) On one occasion in 1955, President Eisenhower allowed Reverend Graham to join him on a tour of Gettysburg, the battlefield that turned the tide in the Civil War. This experience made an immediate and significant impact on Graham. Three weeks later, while in Boston, Graham delivered a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. While this address was delivered several years before Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971, Graham’s sentiments are spot-on. The following are excerpts I have compiled from his original message.
“The famous battlefield (Gettysburg), and hundreds of others like it, have become hallowed soil, where thousands of Americans have died either to preserve freedom, prevent aggression, or keep intact the union of American states.
“A while back, when President Eisenhower was touring the Battlefield at Valley Forge and was being shown from one historic spot to another, he made this statement at the conclusion of the tour: ‘This is where they got it for us.’
“Graham continues – What did [Eisenhower] mean? He meant that those men, and thousands of others in all the wars that America has fought, purchased by their blood the freedoms that we enjoy today in ‘the land of the free, and the home of the brave.’ That terse statement from the lips of our president has rung in my ears ever since.
“…I stood by the bedside of a boy in Korea whose spine had been torn away by a shell blast the night before, but by some miracle, he was still living. He was unable to change his position, and if he lived, the doctor informed me, the rest of his days would be spent lying on his stomach. The army medics had patched him up the best they could. I gripped his cold, perspiring hand and said words of comfort to him. He made a statement I will never forget. He said: ‘It was worth it if it will keep America free!’
“That’s what you call ‘getting it for us’! As we think of the selflessness and heroism of such fellows, we are reminded of the words of Jesus Christ who said: ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
“The freedoms we enjoy, the freedoms we take so much for granted, the freedoms we so often trifle with were bought not by the gold of our millionaires, nor altogether [by] the genius of our scientists, nor the sacrifices of the people at home, but primarily by the blood, sweat and agony of those whose names on this day we honor – those who died that we might live!
“They found, as have brave men of all ages, that there are principles well worth dying for. Their noble, unselfish sacrifice is a silent, eloquent rebuke to the self-centeredness of this generation. Let those who want ‘peace at any price’ remember this day that thousands have died for honor and freedom, and that what we have today has come at the price of shed blood…they (the fallen) have handed us a torch, and we have a responsibility to see that they have not died in vain…the sacred memory of their sacrifice will always live in our hearts, and we have a sacred and holy trust – and we cannot fail them!”(2)
Rev. Graham’s eloquence and insights are timeless. His speech is just as relevant in 2026 as it was when delivered in 1955, precisely because it enlightens us to the cost of liberty paid for by the precious lives of the men and women in our Armed Forces, going all the way back to 1776. Today, we remember the ultimate sacrifice American warfighters have made from the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, from the encampments at Valley Forge to the open fields and rocky hills at Gettysburg, from the Forest of Argonne to the beaches of Normandy, from North Korea’s Chosin Reservoir to the jungles of Vietnam, and from the alluvial plain of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan. We also pay homage to the service members recently lost in Operation Epic Fury.
As President Lincoln charged us in the Gettysburg Address, may the memory of the fallen always inspire us:
“to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”(3)
Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, You have seen the sacrifice of every one of the fallen. Every man. Every woman. You see the tears of every friend, every spouse, every parent, every child, and family member who has lost a loved one in service to our country. Not one moment in battle has escaped Your attention. You are intimately aware of each dying breath and as President Lincoln stated so eloquently, the last full measure of devotion that was given.
Father, we take a solemn moment now to honor the men and women who selflessly gave their lives. We lift up the family members and loved ones who feel the loss most deeply. Please wrap Your arms of comfort around them. Make Yourself known to them. For our own hearts, Lord, we ask that You impart to us a deep gratitude for the great cloud of witnesses who’ve paid a price so we can live in a land of liberty. Fan aflame the fires of patriotic devotion within us to continue to advance the unfinished work of our ancestors.
On this Memorial Day, we thank You, Lord, that the fallen American warfighters “got it (freedom) for us” and died so that we may live lives of purpose for Your glory, while recognizing the full worth of the blessings of liberty.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
BIO:
William J. Ostan is a medically retired Army Major and the recipient of two bronze stars. He is the Founder and President of Arc of Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for active-duty wounded warriors. Will is currently spearheading the Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights, which is bipartisan legislation being considered in Congress. You can find out more about his cause at www.arcofjusticeusa.org and www.willostan.com
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s website hosts the entire speech. It is worth reading as Rev. Graham relates more stories about his interactions with troops and includes a powerful Gospel message. Continuing the lifelong work of Billy Graham, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association exists to support and extend the evangelistic calling and ministry of Franklin Graham by proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all we can by every effective means available to us and by equipping the church and others to do the same. © 2026 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Used with general permission. All rights reserved.
