In 100-degree heat, with the U.S. Capitol shining behind the rostrum, more than 50 dignitaries and spectators gathered today to mark the fourth anniversary of the Victims of Communism Memorial.

Lithuanian ambassador Zygimantas Pavilionis highlighted the importance of the site and its message. “Communist regimes have been forgotten everywhere,” he said. Lee Edwards, chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, pointed out that this ideology still rears its head in strange places, such as the National D-Day Memorial, which until recently included a bust of Soviet dictator Joe Stalin. Former U.S. ambassador to Estonia Aldona Wos recounted her father’s decades-long struggle with Communism and quoted Ronald Reagan, reminding listeners that “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

As representatives of more than 13 countries and eight commemorative organizations presented wreaths to adorn the monument, their point was powerfully made: The men and women who fought for freedom and suffered under Communism deserve to be remembered. As Dr. Edwards proclaimed, “We cannot, we must not, we will not forget their sacrifice.”

— Tyler O’Neil is a student at Hillsdale College and an intern in NR’s Washington office this summer.