Freedom is portrayed as secured through sacrifice, courage, vigilance, and readiness to defend liberty. The inscriptions declare that some gave all, honor soldiers as the defenders of freedoms such as the press, speech, and demonstration, and emphasize that the United States has sent many young men and women into peril beyond its borders, asking only enough land to bury those who did not return. The quotations also affirm bearing any burden for liberty, remembering defenders, preparing for war to preserve peace, risking life in a great cause, and sustaining freedom through patriotism and eternal vigilance.