Memorial Day means much more than an extra day off, third day off and a weekend.

Backyard barbecues, getting together with family.

What we really want to think about is honoring those who served.

And I know it's cliche all the time when people

say freedom is not free. And I'll say that cliche because freedom absolutely is not free. And we need

to honor those that served us, those that lost their lives, those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

And not just honor, but take care of our veterans that returned from the battlefields around this world.

And all who've served in uniform and to me that

includes firemen FD NY who lost 343 firemen on 9-11 NYPD who lost 23 cops

on 9-11 the Port Authority police who I believe lost 37 of course, what and who this day is for the armed forces of the United States.

And Memorial Day means something different to people who wore uniform.

Whether it was military service, police work, fire service, EMS, once you've spent part of your life standing between danger and ordinary people trying to live ordinary lives, this day hits differently.

And for the police officers, off-the-cuff audience, a lot of you understand that better than the most.

Today isn't really about barbecues. It's not about

mattress sales. It's not the unofficial start of summer. It's about memory. It's about sacrifice.

And it's about the men and women who never got that chance to go old. You know, cops understand

something that most civilians never really

have to think about everybody says they'd run toward danger until danger actually shows up right

everyone says they'll run towards it then human nature kicks in people freeze people hide

people run away but there's always a small group that runs toward it, those who we honor today.

And all of these tremendous, tremendous warriors, and I'll call them what they are,

warriors that go into battle so that we can live the life of freedom.

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