Arlington National Cemetery Day:Veterans and conservatives have voiced their objections about President Obama's absence at the laying of the wreath ceremony later this morning at Arlington National Cemetery.

Paul Rieckhoff is the founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He made the following statements regarding President Obama's choice to not be at the Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Day service.

"Arlington is a place of tremendous symbolism," he said.

"On Monday, it's where the eyes of our entire nation will be focused and unfortunately, the president and his family won't be there to stand with us."

President Obama is vacationing in Chicago this Memorial Day weekend with his family, and plans to attend a Memorial Day ceremony at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, about an hour outside of Chicago.

Nick Shapiro, White House assistant press secretary stated, "President Obama has a deep respect and appreciation for our service members and veterans, clearly seen in his administration's policies, priorities and actions."

A conservative blogger, Erick Erickson, disagrees. On his blog Redstate.com, he has written the following.

"....going to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns has ... everything to do with a Commander in Chief who seems to not like the military showing some basic respect to the men and women, alive and dead, who have actually kept us free."

American Legion spokesman Marty Callaghan came to President Obama's defense in a comment to CNN.

"We understand that President Obama is a very busy man. He has things like the oil spill and the economy to worry about."

Paul Rieckhoff, of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, disagrees.

"There will be hundreds of children there who have lost parents. Every major veterans group will be there. He should be there with his family."

What do you think? In light of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, should President Obama be at Arlington National Cemetery later this morning for the Memorial Day ceremony?

Do you think President Obama is justified in spending his weekend in Chicago instead?

Gettysburg Address On Memorial Day 2010:President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address:The speech began with the phrase “Four score and seven years ago,” which highlighted the American Revolution and examined the core principles of the United States that the “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathersbrought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle- field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate…we cannot consecrate…we cannot hallow…this ground. The brave men,
living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it cannever forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for whichthey gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain;
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Happy Memorial Day 2010,Memorial Day Quotes 2010:Some people know that Memorial Day is a day to honor the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Memorial Day is a day to honor those that have died in war, for those who have fought, and for those who are still fighting. Here is a little information about how Memorial Day got started, and a few quotes about Memorial Day too.

The first Memorial Day was on May 30th, 1868. It was called "Decoration Day," and was created by civil war general, John Logan. Gen. John Logan wanted the day to help mend the relationship between the North and the South after the Civil War.

Why did he choose May 30th? Gen. John Logan chose May 30th for two reasons. The first being that it was a day that no Civil war battles took place on, and second, he thought that flowers would be in bloom all over The United States.

Memorial Day has been celebrated for over 100 years, but it wasn't until 1971 that it became an official holiday.

Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours. -Wallace Bruce

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. -Joseph Campbell

The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree. -Thomas Campbell

Huffington Post has some more great Memorial Day Quotes.

Memorial Day Quotes:

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me. -Lee Greenwood

The dead soldier's silence sings our national anthem. -Aaron Kilbourn

We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them. -Francis A. Walker

For love of country they accepted death... -James A. Garfield

Each man is a hero and an oracle to somebody. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. -William Penn

The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree. -Thomas Campbell

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. -Joseph Campbell

Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours. -Wallace Bruce

The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children. -William Havard

I believe these Memorial Day quotes will fit the bill for whatever reason you choose to ponder them.

2010 Memorial Day Quotes And Poem:Today is the day of Memorial Day 2010 when we will celebrate Memorial Day 2010. Each year, people look for Memorial Day Quotes on the internet to present it to their relatives who fought for the Civil War and World War I. Memorial Day takes place every last Monday of each May. It is a day for the people who fought for the Civil War and the World War I in the USA. Memorial Day is a Federal Holiday which means there will be no classes in way for the day dedicated for the veterans of war.

Usually, people go to the cemeteries and memorial places to pay their respects to their relatives who fought for the wars to defend the America. It is to honor them for being courageous and available in times when the country needs them.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is an American association of war veterans who have served overseas. This group collect donation for poppies days before the Memorial Day Poem in the spirit of John McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Fields. There are some other memorial day poems you can find on the internet.

Here are a few Memorial Day Quotes:

On thy grave the rain shall fall from the eyes of a mighty nation! ~Thomas William Parsons

Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.

With the tears a Land hath shed
Their graves should ever be green.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Are they dead that yet speak louder than we can speak, and a more universal language? Are they dead that yet act? Are they dead that yet move upon society and inspire the people with nobler motives and more heroic patriotism? ~Henry Ward Beecher

Green sods are all their monuments; and yet it tells
A nobler history than pillared piles,
Or the eternal pyramids.
~James Gates Percival

Is’t death to fall for Freedom’s right?
He’s dead alone who lacks her light!
Thomas Campbell