National Memorial Day Concert

Live from the United States Capitol, it's the 37th Annual National Memorial Day Concert.

And now here are tonight's hosts, Tony Award nominee Mary McCormack and Emmy Award winner Gary Sinise.

[APPLAUSE] GARY SINISE: Tonight the National Memorial Day Concert is dedicated to all who have served and sacrificed since the dawn of our nation 250 years ago.

MARY MCCORMACK: And now, please rise, in body or in spirit, for our National Anthem, performed by Grammy Award nominee, Mickey Guyton.

MICKEY GUYTON: OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE--- BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT. WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILED. AT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING. WHOSE BROAD STRIPES. AND BRIGHT STARS. THROUGH THE PERILOUS FIGHT. O'ER THE RAMPARTS WE WATCHED. WERE SO GALLANTLY STREAMING. AND THE ROCKET'S RED GLARE------ THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR----- GAVE PROOF. (OOOO------) THROUGH THE NIGHT. (OOOO------) THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE. (WAS STILL THERE----------) OH SAY DOES THAT STARSPANGLED. BANNER YET WAVE-------- O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE------ AND THE HOME----- OF THE----------- BRAVE----------------------- [APPLAUSE] >> And now, welcome to the 37th Annual National Memorial Day Concert.

Tonight's special guests are... Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor, Noah Wyle... Academy Award Winner, Melissa Leo... Platinum selling recording artist, Andy Grammer... Multiple CMA Award winner, Jamey Johnson... Six-time Emmy nominee, Jonathan Banks... Two-time Tony Award nominee, Broadway star, Laura Osnes... Multiple Grammy Award nominee, Blessing Offor... Academy of Country Music nominee, Mickey Guyton... With a Special Performance by Country Icon, Alan Jackson.

Featuring... The National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Jack Everly And... General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff... The U.S.

Army Herald Trumpets... The U.S.

Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps... The U.S.

Army Chorus... The Soldiers' Chorus of the U.S.

Army Field Band... The U.S.

Navy Band Sea Chanters... The U.S.

Air Force Singing Sergeants... The Armed Forces Color Guard and Service Color Teams... And Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music... The National Memorial Day Concert is made possible by... Lockheed Martin.

For more than two centuries brave Americans have served our country, protecting what matters most.

Every day we are inspired by those who gave their all, making the ultimate sacrifice.

This Memorial Day we pay tribute to their courage and unwavering commitment to our country.

At Lockheed Martin we honor all those who made our future possible.

And keep us safe today.

>> And by... The Horatio Alger Association of distinguished Americans honors all who serve, including 236 of its esteemed members.

Since 1947 the Horatio Alger Award has been presented to outstanding Americans who embody the American dream -- Built on hard work, perseverance and success; through them the Association has awarded $275 million in scholarships to enable 38,000 youth to pursue their American dream through higher education.

>> And by... The National Park Service... Department of the Army... General Dynamics... And by contributions to your PBS station... From Viewers Like You.

Thank you.

Please welcome back our hosts, Mary McCormack and Gary Sinise.

GARY SINISE: Welcome to the 2026 National Memorial Day Concert, an event that has been so appropriately called America's Memorial Service for the nation, a way to honor all our heroes and America's Gold Star Families.

As longtime viewers of this concert know, Joe Mantegna and I traditionally co-host together.

Although Joe is unable to be with us this year, my co-host this evening is my friend, a proud daughter of a U.S.

Marine, Mary McCormack.

Mary, welcome.

MARY MCCORMACK: Thank you Gary.

As you know, every year at the Has a special meaning for all Americans.

For tonight, we remember the many challenges our nation has overcome in its 250-year history.

From the Minutemen who faced those first gunshots at Lexington and Concord that started us on our path to independence -- to those serving around the world today in harm's way, every generation has unselfishly answered the call.

GARY SINISE: We cannot ever truly repay the debt we owe these warriors.

They have made us a great nation.

So please join us in tribute to all who have served, are currently in uniform and all those about to enter our Armed Forces.

Let's show them all our appreciation.

[APPLAUSE] MARY MCCORMACK: And tonight, as we remember the fallen, we also pay tribute to our wounded, ill and injured warriors here with us from Fort Belvoir Hospital and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

GARY SINISE: Please join us in showing our appreciation for all these American heroes.

[APPLAUSE] MARY MCCORMACK: In addition to our musical performances and stories, throughout this concert we'll also be hearing from active-duty heroes sharing why they serve.

GARY SINISE: With a song dedicated to all the service members and their families in our nation's history who have never given up on America, never given up on each other and speaks to how we will never give up on them, here is award winning artist Andy Grammer.

ANDY GRAMMER: I WILL FIGHT. I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. I ALWAYS DO UNTIL MY HEART. IS BLACK AND BLUE. AND I WILL STAY I WILL STAY WITH YOU WE'LL MAKE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE LIKE LOVERS DO. AND I'LL REACH MY HANDS OUT IN THE DARK AND WAIT FOR YOURS TO INTERLOCK. I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. 'CAUSE I'M NOT GIVIN' UP. I'M NOT GIVIN' UP, GIVIN' UP. NO, NOT YET (NOT YET). EVEN WHEN I'M DOWN TO MY LAST BREATH (LAST BREATH). EVEN WHEN THEY SAY THERE'S NOTHIN' LEFT (NOTHIN' LEFT). SO DON'T GIVE UP ON. I'M NOT GIVIN' UP. I'M NOT GIVIN' UP, GIVIN' UP. NO, NOT ME (NOT ME). EVEN WHEN NOBODY ELSE BELIEVES (BELIEVES) I'M NOT GOIN' DOWN THAT EASILY. SO DON'T GIVE UP ON. AND I WILL HOLD I'LL HOLD ONTO YOU NO MATTER WHAT THIS WORLD'LL THROW IT WON'T SHAKE ME LOOSE. AND I'LL REACH MY HANDS OUT IN THE DARK AND WAIT FOR YOURS TO INTERLOCK. I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. 'CAUSE I'M NOT GIVIN' UP. I'M NOT GIVIN' UP, GIVIN' UP. NO, NOT YET (NOT YET). EVEN WHEN I'M DOWN TO MY LAST BREATH (LAST BREATH). EVEN WHEN THEY SAY THERE'S NOTHIN' LEFT (NOTHIN' LEFT) SO DON'T GIVE UP ON. I'M NOT GIVIN' UP. I'M NOT GIVIN' UP, GIVIN' UP. NO, NOT ME (NOT ME). EVEN WHEN NOBODY ELSE BELIEVES (BELIEVES). I'M NOT GOIN' DOWN THAT EASILY. SO DON'T GIVE UP ON. WOAH, WOAH WOAH, WOAH YEAH, YEAH, YEAH HEY, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH I WILL FIGHT I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. I ALWAYS DO UNTIL MY HEART IS BLACK AND BLUE. >> Thank you to all the troops and all the veterans, I love you!

[APPLAUSE] CAPT.

JACKSON PERKINS: Our Founding Fathers were optimistic.

I mean, they had a dream, and they believed that something like the United States of America was possible.

And thinking about those who at aed the ultimate sacrifice, and those who have gone before us, freedom is not free, and thinking about those who Here in the United States to pitch in, in order to keep our way of life.

GARY SINISE: The United States Army Fife and Drum Corps.

On the evening On the evening of March 5th, 1770, tensions in Boston over oppressive taxation and military occupation exploded into what came to be known as the Boston Massacre.

MARY MCCORMACK: Over the next five years the taxes and restrictions imposed by the British crown on American liberty became unbearable.

Then, on the morning of April 19th, 1775, shots-fired on the commons of Lexington, Massachusetts began what has been called the most influential revolution in world history.

GARY SINISE: On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress declared that all ties between America and England should be permanently dissolved.

Two days later, the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Philadelphia.

From the beginning, the fate of the new nation was by no means a foregone conclusion.

The odds were stacked against us, yet ordinary men and women proved willing to risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor for a powerful idea that shaped our identity.

MARY MCCORMACK: 'Few people,' said newly appointed Continental Army commander George Washington, 'know the predicament we are in.

The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army.'

GARY SINISE: One soldier, 17-year-old Joseph Plumb Martin of the Connecticut militia, left an unforgettable record of those devastating eight years of war.

MARY MCCORMACK: Here to tell his story is Emmy winning actor, Noah Wyle.

NOAH WYLE (AS JOSEPH PLUMB MARTIN): I was fifteen when I heard about Lexington and Concord.

Wanted to sign up right then, but my grandsire forbade it.

"If you don't let me join," I told him, "I'll run away and become a privateer instead."

That changed his mind -- quick.

In June 1776 I was bound for New York to serve under General Washington.

I was what I always longed to be - - a soldier.

All I desired was to prove myself equal to my profession.

They said the British army at New York was reinforced by 15,000 men.

I didn't care if there had been fifteen times fifteen thousand.

I never thought about the numbers.

In my opinion, we Americans were invincible.

When we got to Long Island, the British poured cannister and grape shot upon us like a shower of hail.

The enemy drove our men into a creek at high tide.

As many were drowned as killed.

My first job in the army was to fish out the corpses.

That scrape was barely over when they hit us again at Kip's Bay.

Our people were all militia.

The demons of fear and disorder seemed to take full possession of anything and everything on that day.

When the British fleet let loose with their cannons, I thought the sound would blow my head off.

I made a frog's leap into a ditch.

Some of the British came so near me I could see the buttons on their coats.

They drove us clear out of New York, all the way up to Harlem Heights.

During the retreat, one of the men complained about being hungry.

This colonel put a hand into his coat pocket.

He took out a piece of Indian corn, burned black as coal.

"Here," he said.

"Eat this and learn to be a soldier."

People nowadays, they read the history of the great men and think they know what those eight years of war were like.

But nobody can know who wasn't there.

Nobody who wasn't a soldier.

Everywhere the British went, they left a trail of devastation.

Cattle killed and lying about the fields and pastures.

Tools hacked apart, barns broken to pieces.

Wells filled up.

Families butchered where they stood.

I saw towns laid in ashes, people murdered and cast into their burning houses.

After the fire was out, I saw families scrambling to find the bones of their relatives amongst the rubbish.

I saw men split like fish to be broiled when they stooped behind the breastworks -- but didn't stoop low enough.

I saw a shell pass in front of a man's face without touching him, didn't break an inch of skin but shattered his skull all to pieces.

He fell dead into a trench.

And I remember the first man I shot.

Took my aim directly between his shoulders, as true as I ever did at any animal in my life.

The fire and smoke blinded me, but he dropped dead just the same.

I read a pamphlet once where it said the revolution was a time that tried men's souls.

I'm here to tell you - it tried men's bodies just as hard.

There were plenty who left when their enlistments were up.

Some didn't wait even that long.

But there were plenty who stayed.

In October 1781, we marched to Williamsburg to join General Lafayette and pay the British a visit at Yorktown.

The watchword was "Rochambeau," the name of the French commander.

If you said it fast, it sounded like, "rush on, boys!"

And that's exactly what we did.

There was no stopping us.

The British surrendered three days later.

We were marched onto the parade ground across from the French forces.

The lobsterbacks tried to pay us no attention.

Then General Lafayette had the band strike up "Yankee Doodle."

And when they heard that, the British turned -- and they saw us!

Us.

Common soldiers.

Farmers.

Shopkeepers.

Americans.

What they called a "rabble in arms."

Well, that "rabble" had just defeated the most powerful empire known to creation.

I confess there was just as much sorrow as joy on the occasion.

We had lived together as brothers, shared the dangers and sufferings of a soldier's life.

And now we were to be parted forever.

Every private soldier in an army thinks his service as important as that of the most influential general.

And why not?

What could officers do without such men?

Nothing at all.

We wore ourselves out with fatigues and hardships.

But it was the fight that mattered.

Not only for ourselves, but for the generations that would come after us.

It still seems a miracle to me: how an army of volunteers -- starved, naked, and suffering everything able to persevere through eight years of war and win a country.

But -- we did.

And that country is called the United States of America.

[APPLAUSE] MARY MCCORMACK: With a song dedicated to every generation of American heroes, here is Tony Award nominee, Laura Osnes.

LAURA OSNES: MY COUNTRY, 'TIS OF THEE. SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY. OF THEE I SING---- LAND WHERE MY FATHERS DIED. LAND OF THE PILGRIMS' PRIDE. FROM EVERY MOUNTAIN SIDE. FROM EVERY MOUNTAIN SIDE. LET FREEDOM RING---- MY NATIVE COUNTRY, THEE. LAND OF THE NOBLE FREE. THY NAME I LOVE---- I LOVE THY ROCKS AND RILLS. THY WOODS AND TEMPLED HILLS. MY HEART WITH RAPTURE THRILLS. LIKE THAT ABOVE---- OUR FATHERS' GOD TO THEE. AUTHOR OF LIBERTY. TO THEE WE SING---- LONG MAY OUR LAND BE BRIGHT WITH FREEDOM'S HOLY LIGHT PROTECT US BY THY MIGHT---- LET--------- FREEDOM ----------- RING----------- GARY SINISE: Thank you Laura.

Please also join me in thanking America's orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, once again under the direction of Maestro Jack Everly.

[APPLAUSE] the Revolutionary War, the ground on which we stand tonight became a battlefield.

British troops captured Washington, DC and set fire to the White House and the U.S.

Capitol at the height of the War of 1812.

Once again, America beat back the threat.

It would be the last foreign assault on American soil for over 100 years.

All that changed on the morning of December 7th, 1941, a date that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said would live in infamy.

The attack on Pearl Harbor began at 7: 48 am Hawaiian time launched from six Japanese aircraft carriers.

By the end of the attack, the U.S.

Pacific Fleet and our Naval aircraft were decimated.

Over 2,400 Americans were dead and more than one thousand were wounded.

The next day, the United States Congress declared war on Japan.

War on Germany and Italy followed three days later.

One of the U.S.

Navy sailors in Pearl Harbor that day was a young man of eighteen, Chuck Kohler.

Here to tell his story is acclaimed actor, Jonathan Banks.

JONATHAN BANKS (AS CHUCK KOHLER): I was born in a log cabin in Northwestern Minnesota.

My parents were dirt farmers -- sharecroppers.

That wasn't the kind of life I wanted to live.

I knew there was something better somewhere, at least for me.

So two months and one week after my seventeenth birthday, I joined the United States Navy on April 3rd of 1941.

After boot camp, we left San Diego for the Naval Air Station on Ford Island, right in the center of Pearl Harbor.

They put me in what they called the "Beach Party, working maintenance on amphibious patrol aircraft.

"Forget the bib overalls," I kidded my folks.

"My uniform in Hawaii is tennis shoes, shorts, swimming trunks."

I stayed in that beach party until December 7th, 1941.

That morning, I was assigned to security watch.

Everything looked ship-shape, so I parked myself in a personnel office.

I figured a fancy typewritten letter would really impress my mother.

Over the clacking of the keys, I could hear approaching aircraft.

Nothing unusual about that.

We were a Naval Air Station.

Planes came and went.

At first, I thought it was some of our pilots doing a little hot-dogging.

"Boy, oh, boy," I said to myself, "I wouldn't want to be in their shoes when the commanding officer gets a hold of them."

The next thing I knew there was this tremendous roar.

Bomb fragments and shattered glass tore into the back of my head and shoulders.

Took me a minute or two to get my thoughts back on track after the concussion from that blast.

When I got outside, I could just make out a Japanese Zero in a steep power dive.

Machine-gun bullets from that plane were popping, buzzing and whizzing all around me.

The duty officer ordered everybody into a ditch for protection.

"I don't want to be in any damn ditch," I said.

"We're military men.

We should be putting up a fight."

I told an ordinance man, "Let's get guns and ammo and shoot these sonsabitches."

If I was going to lose my life in this or any battle, I knew damn well I'd want my family and country to know I did it fighting, not hiding.

We made it to the ammo shack.

"Give me a .50-caliber machine gun," I said to the ordinance man.

My country boy hunter instinct just took over.

If enemy aircraft came in my field of fire -- I shot at it.

The last plane to come in range was in a fast-banking left turn.

I squeezed the trigger and saw two of those tracer bullets two of those tracer bullets just forward of the cockpit.

It did an abrupt roll and Disappeared.

The smoke from the airfield such a heavy cloud it obliterated just about everything.

But I could still see the USS Nevada making a run for open water.

Those Japanese pilots were on it like a swarm of bees.

They dropped five bombs.

Knocked holes in the galley and upper decks.

But she made it through.

When the Arizona exploded, it sounded like the crack of doom.

I felt the heat blast all the way across the the channel.

The bow flew off from the tons of gunpowder down in the hold.

Not long after, I saw the Oklahoma capsize.

400 men were trapped on that ship when it rolled over.

Nobody could get to them in time.

It took days to recover all the bodies floating in the water.

Our mess hall became a triage hospital.

The corpses were stacked up in piles like cordwood.

That's a sight you never forget.

When I went to my duty station that morning, I was a seventeen-year-old sailor boy trying to be a military man.

When it was over, I think I was going on about thirty-four.

But I can tell you -- I was grateful to be part of the response to the attack on December 7th.

And I stayed part of the fight straight to the end.

Last thing I did was participate in the surrender of a Japanese garrison on an A-Toll in the Marshall Islands.

We hauled down their flag, raised the Stars and Stripes.

When my service to my country ended, I left the war behind me, got busy trying to build a civilian life.

I figured we did what had to be done, and now that it was over - - it was finished.

I packed it all away in a box and closed the lid on it and put it aside and forgot about it.

And it stayed that way for 64 years, until my daughter took me back to Pearl Harbor.

There on the honor wall at the USS Arizona Memorial were the names of the 1,176 men who gave their lives in action on that ship.

I looked down at the sunken hull resting on the bottom of the harbor and made a solemn promise to the heroes who died that day I would do everything I could to bring them the honor and remembrance they deserved.

When I finally started to talk about my experience as a Pearl Harbor survivor, people asked if I'd be willing to share my story with young people.

They said if veterans don't share their experience with their children, their grandchildren, with students at school, then that history will die with them.

So I thought: If I don't do it now, who?

- - when?

But I don't do this alone.

The spirit of twenty-four hundred others pushes me on.

Otherwise, they'd be forgotten.

And none of them should be forgotten.

From the very beginning, brave Americans have answered the call of their country.

They've stepped forward, put on a uniform, laid their lives on the line, and made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could experience the liberties and freedoms they themselves might never see.

I stand on their shoulders.

We stand on their shoulders.

All of us.

Every American.

[APPLAUSE] GARY SINISE: Please welcome, country music artist and Marine Corps Veteran, Jamey Johnson.

JAMEY JOHNSON: I SAID, "GRANDPA, WHAT'S THIS PICTURE HERE?

IT'S ALL BLACK AND WHITE, AND IT AIN'T REAL CLEAR. IS THAT YOU THERE?

", HE SAID, "YEAH, I WAS 11.

" "AND TIMES WERE TOUGH BACK IN '35. THAT'S ME AND UNCLE JOE JUST TRYNA SURVIVE A COTTON FARM. IN A GREAT DEPRESSION.

" IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE WERE SCARED TO DEATH LIKE A COUPLE OF KIDS JUST TRYNA SAVE EACH OTHER YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN IT IN COLOR------- OH. AND THIS ONE HERE'S TAKEN OVERSEAS IN THE MIDDLE OF HELL IN 1943. IN THE WINTER TIME. YOU CAN ALMOST SEE MY BREATH. THAT WAS MY TAIL GUNNER OL' JOHNNY MAGEE. HE WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER FROM NEW ORLEANS. AND HE HAD MY BACK. RIGHT THROUGH THE DAY WE LEFT. IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE WERE SCARED TO DEATH LIKE A COUPLE OF KIDS JUST TRYNA SAVE EACH OTHER. YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN IT IN COLOR------- A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS BUT YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT THOSE SHADES OF GRAY KEEP COVERED YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN IT IN COLOR------- THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE ONE. THIS IS ME AND GRANDMA IN THE SUMMER SUN. ALL DRESSED UP THE DAY WE SAID OUR VOWS. YOU CAN'T TELL IT HERE BUT IT WAS HOT THAT JUNE. AND THAT ROSE WAS RED AND HER EYES WERE BLUE AND JUST LOOK AT THAT SMILE. I WAS SO PROUD. THAT'S THE STORY OF MY LIFE RIGHT THERE IN BLACK AND WHITE------ AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE WERE AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE WERE SCARED TO DEATH LIKE A COUPLE OF KIDS JUST TRYNA SAVE EACH OTHER. YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN IT IN COLOR------- YEAH, A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. BUT YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT THOSE SHADES OF GRAY KEEP COVERED. YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN IT IN COLOR------- [APPLAUSE] GARY SINISE: Thank you Jamey.

And thank you Mr.

Kohler for allowing us to share your story tonight.

You are truly an inspiration to us all.

MARY MCCORMACK: With us tonight, representing all who served during the Second World War, are these honored members of America's Greatest Generation.

Etched into the stone of the Korean War Memorial are four words: "Freedom is not free."

Just as you have honored your own in your memories, so we now honor you.

You paid the price for freedom for all of us.

Navy Captain Royce Williams is America's only living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, awarded for his actions in the Korean War.

He sent a special message to share with us.

ROYCE WILLIAMS: The forgotten war is not forgotten, and I'm finding out today that I'm not forgotten either.

And thinking heavily about the people that were engaged in fighting for our country, those people are heroes.

Spend some time thinking about those people and what they did and why they did it.

That's because they got something in their heart that loves America.

God bless America!

[APPLAUSE] Also joining us tonight in person, are distinguished veterans of that War.

Please rise and thank not only these brave American heroes, but also their fellow patriots across the country.

1SG MATTHEW MAYS: I can't give enough respect for those that came before me.

I've been on four combat tours I thank them more for the path that they tread for me to follow.

Every civilian, every soldier, every future service member owes it to those that came before us.

Memorial Day for me is a period of reflection to think about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for those who weren't able to come home.

Tonight, as we honor the bravery of the over nine million men and women who served in our armed forces during the Vietnam War era, we also shine the spotlight on their service after the War.

Many of them dedicated themselves to connecting with and making a difference for those who brought home visible and invisible wounds of war.

But they did so much more than just help our wounded warriors.

With their advocacy, they changed support systems and created new ones for veterans of their own generation and those that followed -- like the Vet Centers, where counseling without labels got many veterans through the door and where they could feel there was no shame in asking for help.

Their work and their mentoring of younger warriors has created a new model of heroism.

With Gary tonight are two heroes, Vietnam War veteran, Jim Mayer and Iraq War veteran, Erick Castro.

[APPLAUSE]GARY SINISE: Jim in 2004 we were really honored to share your amazing story.

When wounded service members began to return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan what prompted you to reach out to them?

JIM MAYER: A lot of Vietnam Vets came home unwelcome and had tough times.

I was lucky, my family and friends were so supportive.

After I lost both legs in Vietnam I spent 10 months in Army hospital.

The great doctors and nurses saved my life and restored me.

But it was the friendships of my fellow wounded patients that pulled me through.

Years later, when the younger wounder warriors started coming, I thought I'd lived that.

And I could say, "We can help you get through this, help you Connect, and maybe even help you have some fun.

GARY SINISE: Erick, how did it feel to have someone like Jim reach out to you?

ERICK CASTRO: After I lost my leg in Iraq, it Was in a dark place.

But after meeting Jim he helped out a lot At first, I was afraid of being dependent on others for the rest of my life but for weeks after I met Jim, I didn't even realize he was an amputee.

He was living his life to the fullest, I saw there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Now 23 years later, I'm also thriving, reaching out to the next generation of veterans - Letting them know they are not alone and not forgotten, thanks to Jim and his generation that helped us a lot.

GARY SINISE: Thank you both for sharing your Story, and thank you for your service to our country.

And now please join me in thanking and acknowledging all the Vietnam War era veterans here with us tonight and those they helped along the way.

[APPLAUSE] MARY MCCORMACK: With a song dedicated to all those we just honored... Please welcome multiple Grammy nominee, Blessing Offor.

BLESSING OFFOR: SOMETIMES. I FEEL. LIKE I. JUST KEEP. PRETENDING. AND I'M SLOWLY GOING OUT OF MY MIND. AND I I FEEL LIKE YOU COULD BE THE ONE WHO WOULD CATCH ME WHEN MY WINGS WON'T FLY. WOULD YOU LIFT ME UP?

WHEN THE WORLD GETS COLD AND IT'S ALL TOO MUCH SOMETIMES I NEED SOMEBODY TO REMIND ME WHAT I'M MADE OF OH WHEN I'M BREAKING DOWN. RUNNING LOW ON LOVE. NEED A HAND TO HOLD. WANNA FEEL YOUR TOUCH. SOMETIMES I NEED. SOMEBODY TO REMIND ME WHAT I'M MADE OF. MMM-- AND LIFT ME UP. I'VE BEEN ACTING LIKE A BRAVE HEART. I'VE BEEN PLAYING ALL THEIR FAVORITE PARTS. BUT IT'S BEEN HEAVY ON MY BONES. IT'S BEEN WEARY ON MY SOUL. WOULD YOU LIFT ME UP?

WHEN THE WORLD GETS COLD. AND IT'S ALL TOO MUCH. SOMETIMES I NEED. SOMEBODY TO REMIND ME WHAT I'M MADE OF. OH. WHEN I'M BREAKING DOWN. RUNNING LOW ON LOVE. NEED A HAND TO HOLD. WANNA FEEL YOUR TOUCH. SOMETIMES I NEED. SOMEBODY TO REMIND ME WHAT I'M MADE OF. MMM-- WOULD YOU LIFT ME UP?

WHEN THE WORLD GETS COLD. AND IT'S ALL TOO MUCH. SOMETIMES I NEED. SOMEBODY TO REMIND ME WHAT I'M MADE OF. OH. WOULD YOU LIFT ME UP?

WHEN THE WORLD GETS COLD. AND IT'S ALL TOO MUCH. SOMETIMES I NEED SOMEBODY TO REMIND ME WHAT I'M MADE OF. AHH-- AND LIFT ME UP. [APPLAUSE] A1C MAURICIO HIDALGO: When 9/11 happened, I was in 9th grade and remember everyone getting pulled into the gymnasium when we heard the news that the World Trade Center had been attacked.

As Americans, we're not untouchable.

But we came together, and you felt that sense of community.

You felt that sense of brotherhood, people putting aside their differences to come together for a common cause.

You know, we're all Americans.

25 years later, I'm in the military now, serving America and fighting for our freedom.

GARY SINISE: September 11th, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of a day that forever changed America and changed all of us.

Tonight the National Memorial Day Concert honors the victims and heroes of that day and the days that followed.

That Tuesday promised to be no different than any late summer day.

People headed to work as they always did, dropped off their children at school, looked forward to that night's baseball games.

Then a bright ordinary morning suddenly transformed into America's darkest hours.

>> the World trade center, we just got a report that been some sort of explosion, at World TradeCenter New York City.

This looks like some concerted effort to attack the World Trade Center that is under way, and >> That's 30 some odd floors.

We are totally pourless knowing what is going on here.

Washington has to take the position they are under some form of attack.

>> What started in New York, now happening in Washington.

SPEAKER: FAA has ordered all aircraft currently in the air over the United States to land at the nearest airport.

SPEAKER: 93, and hijacked by terrorists.

They have a bomb.

I want to say I love you.

Mark this is your mom, try to group some people and try to take over the aircraft.

SPEAKER: Saw the smoke come up, and the explosion shook the house over here.

SPEAKER: They say fire is also spreading downward now through the tower.

You can see the firemen assembled here, and police officers and FBI agents, and can see the two towers.

A huge explosion now raining debris on all of us.

We have to get out of the way!

SPEAKER: The second building that was hit by the plane has now just completely collapsed.

GARY SINISE: On that day a quarter century ago 2,977 human souls were lost.

None of us will ever forget where we were when we heard the news and saw what was happening.

Perhaps we were already watching TV... Or perhaps it was a call we got from a friend or loved one.

"Are you seeing this... I can't believe it... Oh my God... All those people..." Over the next few hours our disbelief turned into shock, then tears, then anger.

And then over 300 million Americans joined together, united by our collective need to do something, anything to help.

What could I do, what could any of us do.

Some rushed to donate blood... Others went to pray... And in those hours what was forged in our national spirit was this: Our enduring promise to those we lost to never forget.

25 years ago, a country music legend wrote a song that helped Americans find meaning and solidarity in troubled times.

With his Nashville performance of "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning", here is Alan Jackson.

ALAN JACKSON: WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING ON THAT SEPTEMBER DAY?

WERE YOU IN THE YARD WITH YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN?

OR WORKING ON SOME STAGE IN L.A.?

DID YOU STAND THERE IN SHOCK AT THE SIGHT OF THAT BLACK SMOKE. RISING AGAINST THAT BLUE SKY?

DID YOU SHOUT OUT IN ANGER, IN FEAR FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR?

OR DID YOU JUST SIT DOWN AND CRY?

DID YOU WEEP FOR THE CHILDREN WHO LOST THEIR DEAR LOVED ONES? AND PRAY FOR THE ONES WHO DON'T KNOW?

DID YOU REJOICE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WALKED FROM THE RUBBLE?

AND SOB FOR THE ONES LEFT BELOW?

DID YOU BURST OUT WITH PRIDE FOR THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE?

AND THE HEROES WHO DIED JUST DOING WHAT THEY DO?

DID YOU LOOK UP TO HEAVEN FOR SOME KIND OF ANSWER?

AND LOOK AT YOURSELF AND WHAT REALLY MATTERS?

I'M JUST A SINGER OF SIMPLE SONGS. I'M NOT A REAL POLITICAL MAN. I WATCH CNN, BUT I'M NOT SURE I CAN TELL YOU. THE DIFFERENCE IN IRAQ AND IRAN. BUT I KNOW JESUS AND I TALK TO GOD. AND I REMEMBER THIS FROM WHEN I WAS YOUNG. FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS HE GAVE US. AND THE GREATEST IS LOVE. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING ON THAT SEPTEMBER DAY?

Teaching a class full of innocent children, driving down some cold interstate.

Did you feel guilty as you're a survivor, in a crowded room did you feel alone?

Did you call up your mother and tell you loved her, did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, and hope it never happened.

Close your eyes and not go to sleep Did you notice the sunset, first time in ages, speak to some stranger on the street Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow go out and buy you a ... did you turn off the violent movie watching and turn on I love Lucy reruns, did you go to church, hold hands with some stranger?

Stand in line and give your own blood, did you just stay home and clean tide to your family?

Thank God you had somebody to love, .

Just a singer of simple songs, I'm not a real political man I WATCH CNN, BUT I'M NOT SURE I CAN TELL YOU. THE DIFFERENCE IN IRAQ AND IRAN. BUT I KNOW JESUS AND I TALK TO GOD. AND I REMEMBER THIS FROM WHEN I WAS YOUNG. FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS HE GAVE US. AND THE GREATEST IS LOVE. THE GREATEST IS LOVE. THE GREATEST IS LOVE. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING ON THAT SEPTEMBER DAY?

[APPLAUSE] GARY SINISE: There were so many Americans who leapt into action on September 11th, in New York, on Flight 93, and not too far from here at the nerve center of our national defense.

MARY MCCORMACK: One of the heroes at the Pentagon that day was Lieutenant Colonel Patricia Horoho.

To share her story, here is Academy Award winning actress, Melissa Leo.

MELISSA LEO (AS PATRICIA HOROHO): My dad fought in World War II, Korea, Vietnam.

I was born and raised at Fort Bragg.

Even so, I think I shocked my whole family when I came home one day and said, "I'm joining the Army."

I trained as a nurse in mass casualty response.

What I learned was that preparedness allows you to react when you need to.

You don't think twice -- You do what you have to do.

In August 2001, I was assigned to the Pentagon working on health policy.

September 11th was a perfect fall day.

While I was walking down one of those endless Pentagon corridors - - I can't really explain it, but sometimes I get these instincts that feel like divine guidance.

I've learned to trust them.

This voice inside my head kept saying, "Don't go down that hallway."

Then I heard someone yell, "The World Trade Center's been hit."

I turned into an office where people were watching a plane strike the south tower.

My instincts kicked in again.

I said out loud, "There's going to be a series of attacks.

We're next."

A few minutes later, the whole building just -- shook.

A strange kind of calm came over me, like time just -- stopped.

I ran straight to the impact site.

Smoke was billowing out of this gaping hole in the building.

The ground was burning hot.

Plane debris was everywhere -- jagged pieces of glass and smoldering metal.

People were trying to find their way out of the darkness and the fire, breaking windows, trying to escape in any way possible.

At that point, we had no supplies.

Then an aid bag appeared.

IVs, needles, gloves, tubes for intubation.

A one-star general came up to me and said, "What do you need?"

I said, "Your belt, for a tourniquet."

We were doing battlefield triage on the grounds of the Pentagon.

It wasn't easy trying to create order in the middle of chaos.

Ambulances started arriving.

The fire department.

Urban Search and Rescue.

The FBI.

By the time all air traffic was grounded, we'd gotten a host of severely burned patients out by airlift with a fighting chance to survive.

"This is what war feels like," I thought.

"We're at war.

This is what my dad lived through."

The stench of jet fuel was overpowering.

But people never stopped going back inside the building to find survivors.

Everybody pitched in.

By nightfall it had turned into a recovery operation.

We knew there wouldn't be any more coming out alive.

That was a hard moment.

Through the smoke, I could see firemen unfurling the flag on the roof of the Pentagon.

The sight drove home for me that the words "United States of America" weren't just words.

We were united in our resolve, because everyone came together on 9/11.

When the list of casualties was printed, I just kept praying, "Please, God, don't let me know anybody."

And then among the names I saw my office mates, Major Ron Milam and Sergeant Major Lacey Ivory, and my colleague, Lieutenant Colonel Karen Wagner.

We lost 184 lives at the Pentagon.

But one life touches so many others.

No one thought it would be their last day.

Their wives and husbands thought they'd be coming back home.

Their children thought they'd be coming back home.

But they never did.

Our enemies underestimated us.

They saw us divided and thought they could take advantage.

But the terrible cruelty they brought down united us in ways they could never understand.

As we get closer to the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11, I feel this ache in my heart that people have already begun to forget.

Memorial Day is our shared bond.

It's our nation coming together to remember those who perished, and to show our gratitude for those who stepped up and gave their all.

There is power in that memory.

As we honor their sacrifice tonight, every one of us must ask: How do we serve?

When I saw our flag waving through all that smoke and flames, I saw threads of courage.

I saw threads of sacrifice.

I saw threads that bind the history of our nation.

A legacy of service, of duty, of unity.

That's what I saw that day... And that's still what I see.

[APPLAUSE] There were so many heroes that day--military and civilians, first responders, a community of Americans coming together to do whatever was needed to help and then begin to heal.

And just as we will never forget the horrors of that day, we will always remember the actions and goodwill in the days, the weeks, the months and even the years that followed.

Please rise and join us in thanking and honoring those who answered the call in New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville and who represent all those who did so across our nation.

[APPLAUSE] MARY MCCORMACK: Our nation remains strong, 250 years after its founding, thanks to the countless heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, their military families, and the gold star families who will always love them.

SPEAKER: He looked at me in a way I've never seen my son look at me.

And he said, "You know, Dad, I've got to go.

My men are waiting on me."

I said, "OK, you go, but you take care of those men."

And you bring them all home.

He didn't come home alive, the rest of those men made it home.

SPEAKER: I hear the words, "I regret to inform you."

It's your worst nightmare.

>> It's surreal, because you say it's 12, 13 years.

But my mom heart says it was yesterday.

>> And you wonder, but he's like... You just pray.

And you know he can hear you, and he's right there with you all the time.

>> I had to bury my child, not the same person no more, never will be.

I never heard my daddy cry until that day.

When I got the news It just shook me to the core.

SPEAKER: Daddy's going to be God's soldier now.

And he said, "But I will miss him."

And I said, "I will miss him too.

But we are never going to forget him."

GARY SINISE: They paid the supreme price for our freedom and it is for those heroes and their families that we now play Taps.

[APPLAUSE] With a song dedicated to all the heroes we've lost.

Please welcome back marine Corps veteran JAMEY JOHNSON: I HAVE SEEN. MY LAST TOMORROW. I AM HOLDING MY LAST BREATH GOODBYE------ SWEET WORLD OF SORROW MY NEW LIFE BEGINS WITH DEATH I AM STANDING ON THE MOUNTAIN I CAN HEAR THE ANGELS' SONGS I AM REACHING OVER JORDAN TAKE MY HAND LORD, LEAD ME HOME >> We all love Mike and honor his selfless service for this country every day, MemorialDay for them is probably the most important day of the year.

ALL MY BURDENS ARE BEHIND ME. I HAVE PRAYED. MY FINAL PRAY. DON'T YOU CRY---- (OOOO--------) OVER MY BODY. (OOOO--------) 'CAUSE THAT AIN'T ME------- (OOOO--------) LYING THERE. NO. I AM STANDING. ON THE MOUNTAIN. I CAN HEAR. THE ANGELS' SONGS. I AM REACHING. OVER JORDAN (OOOOO----) TAKE MY HAND (TAKE MY HAND). LORD, LEAD ME HOME. I AM STANDING. ON THE MOUNTAIN. I CAN HEAR. THE ANGELS' SONGS. I AM REACHING. (OOOO--------) OVER JORDAN (OVER JORDAN). (OOOO--------) TAKE MY HAND (TAKE MY HAND). LORD, LEAD ME HOME (LEAD ME HOME-----) TAKE MY HAND. LORD, LEAD ME HOME---- [APPLAUSE] (OOO------) MARY MCCORMACK: The connections our heroes have with each other while in the service and afterwards remind us, as civilians, of our duty to support them, and to lend a helping hand whenever we can.

That means reaching out to America's Gold Star Families for they are the ones - who through the willingness of their loved ones to serve and sacrifice - have kept the dream of the United States of America alive.

There are so many ways each of us can do something, and not just on Memorial Day but every day of the year.

If you are a civilian and want to provide or get trained to help, please go to our website for more information on ways to offer support.

If you are a veteran or military family, we understand it's not easy to ask but seeking help is a sign of resilience and strength.

On our website you'll find links to organizations dedicated to helping Veterans, Gold Star Families, active-duty military and their families.

And if you or someone you know, is at risk... Experiencing symptoms of emotional distress or having thoughts of suicide, help is available.

Please reach out and connect to care.

SPEAKER: I serve for the next generation to have the same freedoms and liberties that I have been afforded throughout my lifetime.

>> It comes back to those three core values, honor, courage and commitment.

We're there for our freedom.

We're there to protect and serve.

And that's just the end goal for everybody, regardless of where they're coming from.

>> Why I serve really is to protect my home, to protect my family, to protect my community and protect my way of life and our values here in the United States of America.

GARY SINISE: As is a tradition from the beginning of the National Memorial Day Concert we now salute all the men and women from every branch of our armed services.

Please welcome our nation's top military advisors, the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

And now, Maestro Jack Everly, our orchestra and Military choruses perform the "Armed Forces Medley".

Whether here or watching at home, if you are able, please stand when your service song is presented.

United States Coast Guard!

WE'RE ALWAYS READY FOR THE CALL WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE. THROUGH SURF AND STORM. AND HOWLING GALE. HIGH SHALL OUR PURPOSE BE. SEMPER PARATUS IS OUR GUIDE. OUR FAME OUR GLORY TOO. TO FIGHT TO SAVE. OR FIGHT AND DIE. AYE COAST GUARD WE ARE FOR YOU. United States Space Force!

WE'RE THE MIGHTY. WATCHFUL EYE. GUARDIANS. BEYOND THE BLUE. THE INVISIBLE. FRONT LINE. WARFIGHTERS BRAVE AND TRUE. BOLDLY REACHING. INTO SPACE. THERE'S NO LIMIT TO OUR SKY. STANDING GUARD BOTH NIGHT AND DAY. WE'RE THE SPACE FORCE FROM ON HIGH. United States Air Force!

OFF WE GO. INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER. CLIMBING HIGH. INTO THE SUN. HERE THEY COME. ZOOMING TO MEET OUR THUNDER. AT 'EM BOYS. GIVE 'ER THE GUN. GIVE 'ER THE GUN!

DOWN WE DIVE. SPOUTING OUR FLAME FROM UNDER. OFF WITH ONE. HELLUV A ROAR. WE LIVE IN FAME. OR GO DOWN IN FLAME. HEY NOTHING'LL STOP THE U.S.

AIR FORCE. United States Navy!

ANCHORS AWEIGH MY BOYS. ANCHORS AWEIGH. FAREWELL TO FOREIGN SHORES. WE SAIL AT BREAK OF DAY. OF DAY-AY. THROUGH OUR LAST NIGHT ASHORE. DRINK TO THE FOAM. UNTIL WE MEET ONCE MORE. HERE'S WISHING YOU. A HAPPY VOYAGE HOME. United States Marines!

FROM THE HALL OF MONTE ZUMA. TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI. WE FIGHT OUR COUNTRY'S BATTLES. IN THE AIR ON LAND AND SEA. FIRST TO FIGHT FOR RIGHT AND FREEDOM. AND TO KEEP OUR HONOR CLEAN. WE ARE PROUD TO CLAIM THE TITLE. OF UNITED STATES MARINE. United States Army!

FIRST TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT. AND TO BUILD OUR NATION'S MIGHT. AND THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG. PROUD OF ALL WE HAVE DONE. FIGHTING TILL THE BATTLE'S WON. AND THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG. THEN IT'S HI HI HEY. THE ARMY'S ON ITS WAY. COUNT OFF THE CADENCE LOUD AND STRONG. FOR WHERE E'ER WE GO. YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW. THAT THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG. ROLLING ALONG. [APPLAUSE] MARY MCCORMACK: We are privileged to introduce the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Christopher J. Mahoney.

GARY SINISE: And now it is our honor to introduce the distinguished Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff... Please welcome, General Dan Caine.

[APPLAUSE] CHAIRMAN GENERAL DAN CAINE: ladies and gentlemen, good evening, I would like to start with asking you to join me in a round of applause for Mary, Gary, all the performers, and everyone who put on this event tonight.

[APPLAUSE] I am incredibly humbled and grateful to stand alongside the America's Joint Chiefs... Of stStaff To honor the unbroken chain of service that stretches back 250 years... And the more than one million Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice for this nation.

And our freedoms.

To us, they are our brothers and sisters -- names like Gilbert, Zerby, Brown Parvell Zembic Nick and Czech, who we were honored to figh fightalongside.

Tonight we pay special tribute to the 14 who lost their lives during Operation Epic Fury.

To the families they left behind, they are forever an empty chair at the dinner table.

The tributes tonight... To the patriots of the Revolution... To heroes who mobilized after Pearl Harbor... And those who ran into burning buildings on 9-11... And responded after, we remember, and those standing behind me were there.

Remember us, for that 250 years that America's armed forces and first responders have always stood up and when asked the question, who will go, they have always said, "send me ".

Sacrificing themselves so that others may live.

Let us strive to live a life worthy of their incredible sacrifice.

Let us forever honor the gift of their perfect American example.

Ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the 2.8 million men and women proudly serving today: let's remember those currently deployed.

Right now, as we're here on this incredible evening, celebrating our country.

[APPLAUSE] And let us always, always, always remember our fallen, their names, and their families who show us what real courage, grit and tenacity and the American spirit really look like.

God bless America, and may God bless our Joint Focre, and happy 250th birthday America, thank you!

[APPLAUSE] GARY SINISE: Thank you for joining us on our 37th Annual National Memorial Day Concert.

The concert will repeat immediately following this live broadcast on most PBS stations.

MARY MCCORMACK: And now, it's time for our finale.

Please take out your phones, turn the flashlight on, and hold them high for all our heroes... And join in as Mickey Guyton and our cast perform "God Bless America".

MICKEY GUYTON: GOD BLESS AMERICA. LAND THAT I LOVE. STAND BESIDE HER. AND GUIDE HER. THRU THE NIGHT WITH A LIGHT FROM ABOVE---- FROM THE MOUNTAINS.

TO THE PRAIRIES TO THE OCEANS WHITE WITH FOAM---- GOD BLESS AMERICA MY HOME SWEET HOME----- GOD BLESS AMERICA MY HOME SWEET HOME----- >> Everybody sing!

GOD BLESS AMERICA. LAND THAT I LOVE. STAND BESIDE HER. AND GUIDE HER. THRU THE NIGHT. WITH A LIGHT. FROM ABOVE---- FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE PRAIRIES TO THE OCEANS WHITE WITH FOAM---- GOD BLESS AMERICA MY HOME SWEET HOME---- GOD BLESS AMERICA MY HOME------- SWEET------ HOME------------------- >> To watch profiles of the heroes featured tonight and learn more about helping veterans and military families, visit our website at p-b-s.-org-/-memorial-day- concert or join the conversation on social media.

The National Memorial Day Concert is made possible by... Lockheed Martin.

For more than two centuries brave Americans have served our country, protecting what matters most.

Every day we are inspired by those who gave their all, making the ultimate sacrifice.

This Memorial Day we pay tribute to their courage and unwavering commitment to our country.

At Lockheed Martin we honor all those who made our future possible.

And keep us safe today.

>> And by... The Horatio Alger Association of distinguished Americans honors all who serve, including 236 of its esteemed members.

Since 1947 the Horatio Alger Award has been presented to outstanding Americans who embody the American dream -- Built on hard work, perseverance and success; through them the Association has awarded $275 million in scholarships to enable 38,000 youth to pursue their American dream through higher education.

>> And by... The National Park Service... Department of the Army... General Dynamics... And by contributions to your PBS station... From Viewers Like You.

Thank you.