Trump Halts Memorial Day Speech & Points To Boy, Crowd Shocked By Next Move
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President Donald Trump celebrated Memorial Day on Monday by delivering remarks from Arlington, Virginia, where he joined Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford on stage. During his speech, one moment stood out, in particular. Trump halted his speech, pointed to a young boy, and shocked the crowd with his next move.
According to IJR, on Monday, President Donald Trump told the story of a young boy he met last year named Christian Jacobs. Christian’s father made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our country, and the young boy he left behind could not be more proud of his dad’s legacy.
“Joining us today is a very special friend — 7-year-old Christian Jacobs, who is here with his mom, Brittany,” Trump said in Arlington. “I met Christian exactly one year ago today. Last year, after the wreath-laying ceremony, Christian walked over to me with great confidence, shook my hand, looked me straight in the eye, and asked if I would like to meet his dad. He loved his dad. Marine Sgt. Christopher Jacobs, who died when Christian was just eight months old.”
Then, he explained that Christian was wearing a “beautiful Marine outfit.” As he looked over to the young boy in the crowd, he pointed and said, “I’ve never seen a Marine look that good in my life.”
“He wanted to look good, he told me, as a tribute to his father,” Trump explained. “And he led me to his dad’s grave and we paid our respects together. It was a moment I will always remember. Christian, I want you to know that even though your father has left this world — he’s left it for the next, but he’s not gone, he’ll never be gone — your dad’s love, courage, and strength live in you, Christian. And as you grow bigger and stronger just like him, so, too, does your father’s incredible legacy.”
President Donald Trump concluded his remarks on Monday by saying, “May God bless the families of the fallen. May God bless the men and women who serve. And may God bless the United States of America.” The White House also posted a Memorial Day tribute video in which the president explained his experience meeting Christian the year before.
Monday marked the 150th anniversary of the Memorial Day holiday. Americans typically spend their Memorial Day, which is considered the unofficial kickoff of the summer season, BBQing poolside with friends and family. But, sadly, many do not know or understand the deep and meaningful history behind the holiday.
We began celebrating Memorial Day shortly after the close of the Civil War:
Ending in 1865, the Civil War claimed more American lives than any other war in our history. With so many fallen soldiers, America’s first national cemeteries were established to lay these men to rest. In cities and towns across the country, loved ones of the fallen began paying tribute at their graves each spring, laying flowers, saying prayers and honoring their sacrifice.
By the spring of 1868, General John A. Logan, the leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance, stating:
“The 30th of May 1868, [is for] decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”
The holiday was originally deemed “Decoration Day,” and the first official commemoration of the day was hosted at Arlington National Cemetery. For decades, communities gathered to remember those who had fallen in the Civil War. [Source: The Hill]
Thus, it became apparent that Memorial Day should honor all who had passed away in defense of our flag, from the American Revolution onward. Several decades later, in 1968, the federal government established Memorial Day as a federal holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday of May, a move that established the three-day weekend that we now enjoy. It is because of the bravery and ultimate sacrifice of heroes like Marine Sgt. Christopher Jacobs that the rest of us have the opportunity to spend days like this with friends and family, humbly reflecting upon the price of our freedoms.