Part of an address at the Prince Hall Cemetery Memorial Day 1996 delivered by 
Richard Erickson(?)

We cannot make this plot of land holy. Those who are interred here have made it holy. We may not have known them, but we do realize that theirs was a life similar to ours, with the same hopes and aspirations that we all have. To live life to the fullest and enjoy the wonderful freedoms America affords. Freedoms that need to be defended, watched over, and nourished much as a garden needs constant care and planning. They had the same yearnings, and the same expectations we all have. 

We students of history know that it repeats itself over and over and over again. The mistakes that America has made in the past must not be allowed to be repeated, and so we each honor those who have gone before. Freedom is a fragile commodity, and not always easy to come by. Just ask those who are buried here. 

The most important act we do here today is to remember those who rest here. I can’t help but be reminded of a scene in the third act of that famous musical by Rogers and Hammerstein where the heavenly friend says to Julie who is mourning the death of her lover Billy Bigelow, and I quote “As long as one person on earth remembers, no one is truly dead.”

I leave you to think about that.

Thank You