Montgomery’s Memorial Day speech

    Welcome, everyone. Thank you for being here today as veterans, as family, and as a community to observe Memorial Day 2026.
    To many across the country, this weekend is often marked by backyard barbecues, the opening of neighborhood pools, and the unofficial start of summer. But for those of us gathered here right now, we know that today is not a holiday of celebration, but a day of solemn remembrance. We are here to pause, reflect, and honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.
    I am truly honored but humbled to stand here before you and speak of the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, because words often feel so inadequate. 
    More than 1.3 million U.S. service members have died in American conflicts since the Revolutionary War. Behind that staggering number are individual people. They were sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers. They were our neighbors, our friends, and our coworkers. 
    They left behind the comfort of their homes, the milestones of their families, and the promise of a long life in order to step in harm’s way. They did so out of a profound sense of duty and a deep love for this country and its ideals. They answered the call when it mattered most, and in doing so, they gave their tomorrows for our today.
    When we enjoy the simple things that we tend to take for granted and when we enjoy the everyday freedoms that define American life, we are experiencing the benefits of their sacrifice. The freedom to speak our minds, gather peacefully like we are doing right now, or simply waking up in a safe democratic society, we owe it to the fallen.
    Freedom is never free. It has been purchased by the blood, sweat and tears of those who never made it back home.
    We also cannot speak of the fallen without acknowledging the heavy burden carried by those they left behind — the Gold Star families, the child that will forever be missing a parent, the spouse no longer having their life partner, or the parents grieving for their child who was taken much too soon. 
    These families bear a weight that only they can truly comprehend. They live every single day with the quiet pride of their loved one’s service, but also with the permanent, aching reminder that someone is never coming home. Our hearts reach out to these families. We want them to know that we will never forget the price their loved ones paid, and we will always remember the sacrifice made by their entire family.
    So, how do we, the living, honor these heroes? We honor them not just with monuments, or by flying our flags at half-staff until noon, but with how we choose to live our lives. We have been entrusted with the most important thing they left behind: the future of this nation. We honor them when we treat our neighbors with respect, when we stand united during challenging times, and when we participate actively in our local communities. We honor them by living our lives in a way that upholds the very values they fought and died to protect. 
    Furthermore, I encourage you to take this spirit of remembrance beyond today. Learn the stories of local Veterans. Teach the younger generations about why this day exists, and what it means.
    As we go about the rest of our weekend, let us enjoy the beautiful day and the company of our friends and family, but let us do so with a heart full of gratitude. Let us carry the memory of our fallen heroes, and honor their legacy through our actions, our character, and our commitment to our country.
    Thank you all for taking the time to be here today to pay your respects. May God bless our fallen heroes, God bless their families and friends, and God bless the United States of America.
    That was the end of my speech, but Nichole Amor was killed in Kuwait on March 1st. She was a friend of the family. She was my daughter-in-law’s first cousin. This morning, as I was leaving the house, I saw a message from her husband. If I could, I’d like to read it to you.
 
    “Today the country pauses for Memorial Day. Flags will wave, and grills will light. Some will drink to celebrate a long weekend, some will drink to drown away the pain. People will gather with family and friends to smile and enjoy their freedoms.
    But for some of us, today is not symbolic. It is personal.
    On March 1, 2026, my wife, MSG Nicole Amor, was taken from us in service to this country alongside fellow soldiers of the 103rd.
    Since that day, Memorial Day stopped being a date on the calendar and became a reality sitting at my dinner table, sleeping on my side of the bed, and echoing through the silence of my home.
    There are no words strong enough to explain what it feels like to lose the person who was woven into every fabric of your life. The mother of my children. My best friend. The person who knew your soul so completely that life without them no longer feels shaped correctly.
    People say freedom is not free. They are right. But most will never truly understand the invoice. The invoice is children growing up without their mother. It is a folded flag handed to a grieving family. It is two soldiers walking up your driveway that divides your life into before and after. It is learning how to carry unbearable love with nowhere left to place it.
    Nikki was extraordinary, not because she wore the uniform, but because of the way she loved. Fiercely. Completely. Selflessly. She made the world feel warmer just by existing in it, and now the world is colder.
    So today, while the country remembers the fallen, I ask you to do more than observe a holiday. Speak their names. Sit with the discomfort of what sacrifice actually means. Remember that behind every casualty report is a family whose world did not keep spinning afterwards. 
    My wife mattered. Her fellow Soldiers mattered. Every one of the fallen mattered.
    And as long as I am alive, Nicole’s name will continue to be spoken with pride, love, and a grief deep enough to prove how extraordinary she truly was.
    I miss you my love,
    Joey Amor”