Dear Heroes who served this country,
Today, we, members of Reiyukai America, gather here to remind ourselves that freedom has never been free.
We gather here to remember that our life is upon many lives.
We gather here to honor the brave men and women who dedicated their lives.
And—we gather here to make a promise.
Thinking of how much you have done for us,
thinking of how much you have done for this country,
a simple “Thank you” is not enough to show our appreciation.
But instead, the best way to express our gratitude is to demonstrate in our action:
—An action to create a better society where people care about others,
—An action to make a better future full of smiles, and
—An action that would make our heroes proud of us.
Each one of us is pleased to accept the torch
— the torch that lights and leads us to the future
— the torch that each one of you have accepted from the forerunners.
Today, each one of us will be the bearer of the torch that you have passed down to us.
And therefore, today we pledge to ourselves to the future.
We pledge to continue applying the teachings of Reiyukai in our daily life with the goal and hope to make this world a better place by becoming a better person every day, and by cultivating a group of friends who would work for sake of others.
Lastly, we keep in our thoughts for the safety of the men and women who are still in the throes of battle and risking their lives for our freedom.
Thank you very much and please continue watching over us.
Yours truthfully,
Reiyukai America members in Los Angeles and Pasadena Area
