This week’s entries were truly beautiful, reflecting on the past, remembering those lost, and looking ahead with hope. For SixContest #26, we asked for your Six Words on Memorial Day. Many contestants dug deep, offering touching backstories that we’ve highlighted in the post “Top Six Backstories for Memorial Day.” Keep an eye out for our new book Six-Word War Stories (out later this year). You might see one of these memoirs featured in the book! Without further ado, here are our favorites:

6. “Bravery was won. Families were changed.” –@kim_ann1 (via Twitter)

5. “Many Died For Red, White, Blue.” –Carl Addison Swanson (via Facebook)

4. “WWII torpedo narrowly missed Granddad’s ship.” –ChewyD2

3. “A war, a wound, a widow.” –PalliativeDoctor

2. “Remember the dead, wounded, and living.” –ck123456789

And our top-rated Memorial Day Memoir is…

1. “All gave some. I gave me.” –Trista2000

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who’ve given their lives in service. Along those lines, many have used the Six-Word form to help with loss. Take a look at PBS’s Need to Know segment on Six-Word Memoirs: Losing loved ones on 9/11, where the family members who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks tell their story.

Congrats to Trista2000, who can put this winning six-word memoir (or any six words of her choice) on a fabulous key tag thanks to our friends at Various Projects!

Thanks to everyone who shared their very personal memoirs and backstories. Whether in our Caption Contests, on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or at sixwordmemoirs.com—keep on Sixing!