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Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao reminded Americans on Carl Higbie’s FRONTLINE that honoring our fallen is not a ritual to be outsourced to politicians or pundits — it’s the solemn duty of a grateful nation. On the Memorial Day segment Cao delivered a blunt, patriotic message: you don’t give up on your country, and you certainly don’t let politics cheapen the sacrifice of the dead. That clarity is exactly what the Republic needs when too many in the media prefer snark to reverence.
Cao’s words cut through the noise because they come from a man who has lived the consequences of service, and he used Memorial Day to call Americans back to duty in memory and in action. Too often the left turns every national moment into a platform for grievance, but Memorial Day is about those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms — not about scoring political points. If we truly love this country, we will honor the fallen by strengthening the force that defends those freedoms, not by hollow ceremonies.
This message carries weight because Hung Cao is not a talk-radio patriot; he is the Acting Secretary of the Navy, a role he assumed in April 2026 and one that has already put him before Congress defending the Navy’s priorities. Cao has been on the Hill recently discussing budgets and strategy, and he has not shied away from the hard conversations about readiness and resources. A civilian leader who stands firm on behalf of sailors and Marines is precisely what conservatives have been demanding of Washington.
Cao has also laid out a muscular vision for the Navy — pushing for more ships, modernization, and a fighting ethos he calls for in clear terms, even invoking the controversial idea of “alpha” standards in training to ensure combat effectiveness. Critics howl when leaders insist on toughness, but the sea is unforgiving and our adversaries do not care about our sensitivities. If we want to deter enemies and protect American interests, we must fund shipbuilding and back commanders who demand excellence.
Washington’s left-wing class complains about budgets and armaments while foreign foes grow bolder; Cao has had to defend the Navy’s shipbuilding plan and the realities around arms sales and strategic commitments to partners like Taiwan. That he faces pushback in hearings only proves the point — politicians prefer headline optics to hard investment in defense, and the result is a weaker deterrent. Conservatives should stand with Cao and turn the volume up on support for our military instead of joining the chorus that undermines it.
Memorial Day on May 25, 2026 was a reminder that freedom is paid for in blood, and Cao’s admonition to never give up on our country is exactly the kind of straightforward patriotism Americans deserve. We honor the dead best by arming the living, funding the fleet, and restoring the pride and purpose that made this nation great. It’s time for citizens, lawmakers, and leaders to do more than speak — it’s time to act in defense of the values our heroes died protecting.
