Remember and Honor the Military Personnel Who Died While Serving on this Memorial Day!
Few figures stand as prominently in American history as the Founding Fathers of the United States. They were men of words, deeds, and oratory. We rely on their words to set legal precedents for this great nation, and to tell the world how our vision of a “government of the people, and by the people” should be structured and what our core values should be.
In the U.S.A., Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance of those who died in service to their country. The holiday was officially proclaimed in 1868 to honor Union and Confederate soldiers who lost their lives in the Civil War.
The latest historical research has the Civil War death toll at 850,000. This number has surpassed all the other wars the U.S.A. has fought in combined. The population was estimated to be approximately 31 million (not counting Native Americans or Black Americans).
Click here to access the U.S. Census Memorial Day Infographic for more information and the complete infographic.
The important takeaway from this graphic is that all other wars, skirmishes, conflicts, and battles that the US has been involved with combined, none have taken the toll that the war that took place on the U.S. soil—the Civil War—has. Period.
Civil War Death Toll: 850,000 deaths (latest research)
All Other US Military Involvements since 1870s until 2020: 707,081 deaths
Memorial Day is one of three official days The United States has to honor those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces.
In remembrance of the many military troops who have given their lives defending our country throughout its history, we’ve put together a list of quotes from our Founding Fathers. The principles they wrote down in the Founding Documents are the ideals our troops continue to sacrifice their lives to defend.
Each quote selected for this patriotic collection not only captures the essence of the revolutionary spirit that permeates our national conscience. The following quotes also illuminate the intellectual thought, moral depth, and strength of conviction infused into the American democratic system.
The Federalist Papers, authors Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay
“To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people each individual citizen everywhere enjoying the same national rights, privileges, and protection.” ―
“A good Government implies two things: first, fidelity to the object of Government, which is the happiness of the People; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can be best attained.” ―
“Justice is the constant and perpetual will to allot to every man his due.” ― John Jay
Common Sense, author Thomas Paine
“The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind.”
“Such is the irresistible nature of truth that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.”“Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.”
Articles of Confederation and the Massachusetts Constitution – The Continental Congress
“In a republic, power is shared among the people.”
“All states are equal and have an equal voice in Congress.”“The central government cannot infringe upon individual liberties.”
The Declaration of Independence
“A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people”
“We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America…solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states”
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”
The Constitution of the United States
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
“No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens.”
“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
And one last quote from a Founding Father for all our book lovers!
“I cannot live without books.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Thank you to veterans everywhere!
As many of you know, the head and founder of Chanticleer Book Reviews, Kiffer Brown is a self-described military brat. Her father, brother, her Aunt Ellen, nephews, and cousins have served or are serving in the military. Recognizing and honoring the service of those in the Armed Forces is a longstanding tradition for Kiffer and her family.
All of us at Chanticleer have family who have served, and that makes holidays like Memorial Day important to us. We ask you to take time out of your day to remember the veterans in your life and those who have died in active service on this day of reflection.
In the United States, Memorial Day occurs annually on the last Monday in May. This year that date falls on May 26th. We want to celebrate the authors who bring our soldiers’ stories to life on the page. Here are just a few reviews of books with a military theme that we highly recommend!
A GRAND PAUSE: A Novel on May 14, 1945, the USS Randolph, Kamikazes, and the Greatest Air-Sea Rescue
By Gary Santos
In A Grand Pause: A Novel on May 14, 1945, the USS Randolph, Kamikazes, and the Greatest Air-Sea Rescue by Gary Santos, readers board the US Naval aircraft carrier alongside its crewmen as World War II’s Pacific Theater reaches a critical point.
This compelling novel opens with a startling description of the US Navy caught in the bloodiest and longest battle in its history. Through a wide cast of characters, from sailors to pilots, officers to the deck crew, everyone plays a vital role in keeping the USS Randolph running amidst the most heated naval combat of World War II.
Santos writes every moment of these nightmarish battles with intensity and authenticity.
Rich details provide a visceral experience for the reader as they feel, see, and breathe each nuance of the desperate fight to stop the kamikazes from reaching their targets. These kamikaze attacks move so quickly readers will need to catch their breath. To feel as if an attack is truly happening while turning the pages is a testament to Santos’s talent. His entwining of fact with fiction is seamless.
COMBAT MISSIONS (non-fiction)
By Burl D. Harmon
Military and Front Line First Place CIBA Winner
Sometimes, a close and personal story can reveal the true weight of major historical events. Combat Missions, a memoir from WWII veteran Burl D. Harmon, achieves this by detailing how Europe’s vicious aerial battles shape a young boy’s entry to manhood.
On December 7, 1941, Harmon is summoned to his high school’s auditorium to hear President Roosevelt proclaim it as, “a day which will live in infamy…” Soon after, his draft notice arrives. Harmon’s junior college studies and work at the local Rexall drug store are put on hold as he joins the vast flood of young American men and women conscripted into military service. Leaving his small Iowa town and a family mostly sheltered from the grim realities of the outside world, he travels to New York City with people from every imaginable background.
SMITE The WATERS: The Isaak Collection
By David T. Isaak
Smite the Waters by David T. Isaak begins with the xenophobic billionaire Rex Atwater whose goal is to eliminate terrorism. His certainty that it’s “us” or “them” has led him to one horrifying conclusion: he must nuke Mecca.
Convinced of his twisted plot’s perfection, Atwater assembles a deadly team. Carla Smukowski is a military assassin mourning the death of her brother. Boyce Hammond works as a covert FBI agent deeply entrenched in a right-wing movement. And rounding out the cast is Gerald Graves, a nuclear expert willing to commit this heinous crime. Together, they vow to annihilate terrorism.
Virtually every character in this story is fully fleshed out, gritty and driven, to draw the reader deep into their individual stories.
THE WOLF HUNTER: DESOLATION: Mack Murphy Series Book 1
By Terrence O’Malia
In The Wolf Hunter: Desolation, Book One of Terrence O’Malia’s Mack Murphy series, staff sergeant Mack Murphy is convinced there are three types of people: sheep, wolves, and hunters.
The sweet, innocent, dutiful sheep are blissfully unaware of the deadly wolves that could strike at any time. But thankfully, the hunters protect the sheep and even seek out the wolves to prevent their attacks on the flock. Mack defines himself steadfastly as a wolf hunter. He loves his family with all his heart and would do anything to protect them.
Mack’s protective nature continues into his military life where he is part of a team based in the mountains of Afghanistan. Just as it is with his family, he pledges his full allegiance to his team.
Frozen Conquest
By Randall Krzak
Global Thriller First Place CIBA Winner
Frozen Conquest by Randall Krzak is a thrilling and intense conflict between the cold of Antarctica and the blazing ambition of those seeking global control, fusing the issues of power, greed, and survival into a high-stakes adventure.
The icy edge of Antarctica serves as the center of a sinister organization, Diablo Corps. The ruthless leader, Walter Brown, threatens global mayhem if his aspirations for power are not met. With technological efficiency and the ability to disrupt critical infrastructure, Diablo Corps is poised to leverage its capabilities against the G7. Soon, an anonymous climate-related warning is sent out, with events such as the hacking of the London metal exchange proving to authorities the true weight of that threat.
Thank you again to the authors who wrote these wonderful books.
Do you have a book with a military theme that deserves to be discovered?
You can always submit your book for an Editorial Review with Chanticleer!
Chanticleer Editorial Review Packages are optimized to maximize your digital footprint. Reviews are one of the most powerful tools available to authors to help sell and market their books. Find out what all the buzz is about here.
Have an Award Winner?
Your Story of Service Matters
Submitting to Book Awards is a great way to get your book discovered!
Anytime you advance in the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards, your name and book are promoted right here on our website, through our newsletter, and across social media. One of the best ways to engage in long tail marketing!
Make Your Military Story Stand Out
Speaking of making books discoverable – if you’re heading to Memorial Day events, summer conferences, or local bookstore appearances with your military-themed book, don’t forget the power of those eye-catching details that help readers notice your work. Our foil stickers have helped countless authors make that crucial first impression at hand sales events.
To honor this Memorial Day weekend, we’re offering 10% off all sticker orders through May 31st with code SPRINGSTICKERSALE. Whether you’re showcasing a military fiction novel, memoir, or historical work, a professional foil sticker can make all the difference when your book is competing for attention at events where service stories matter most.
Ready to make your story shine? Visit our sticker selection here and use code SPRINGSTICKERSALE at checkout to save 10%.
NO TOUGHER DUTY, NO GREATER HONOR 
This particular Memorial Day is especially meaningful to me because of my beloved mother’s, Antha Mae, passing this past Friday on May 26, 2017. My mother was proud to be a serviceman’s wife. My father retired after 36 years of service in the Unites States Merchant Marines & Marine Corps where he served in the WWII, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He died in 1981 from one hundred percent service related injuries.
