Usain St Leo Bolt, newly made member of the Order of Jamaica, is congratulated by Bruce Golding, prime minister of Jamaica.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding marked the celebration of Heroes Day with a speech that will long live in the memories of those who heard it. Golding reminded everyone, including the 105 who were receiving honours of various magnitude, that not everyone could be heroes or, more correctly, recognised as heroes; however, everyone could be heroic. That knowledge and the practice of it, Golding explained, could mean the improvement of the Jamaican society. Here are excerpts from yesterday's speech.

Golding's take on

Heroes' Day

Today, we honour the heroes of our land. We celebrate, in particular, the lives and accomplishments of the six men and one woman we have declared as our National Heroes. Theirs was a vision that saw in us and for us, what we may not have been able to see ourselves. Theirs was the courage that challenged all obstacles and conquered all fear. Theirs was a loyalty and dedication to their people that knew no bounds. Theirs is a legacy that now and forever belongs to us.

Decades and centuries after they have left us, we remember them and we remind ourselves that we could not have been who we are, we could not have come this far were it not for them. We have a duty not just to them but to ourselves to remember them. Marcus Garvey was so right: "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture are like a tree without roots".

Veteran journalist Ian Boyne looks like a pleased man after being conferred with the Order of Distinction for his contribution to the field.

Those who were honoured

Though in a wheelchair, Lance Lloyd Duhaney understands what it means to help and Governor General Sir Patrick Allen was just as proud in conferring as he was in receiving membership to the Order of Distinction in the rank of officer for philanthropy and public service.

We honour 105 persons for the significant contribution they have made to our country in so many different fields - in the arts, sports, business, agriculture, the public service, education, law, human rights advocacy, community service and acts of gallantry. They have followed in the path of our National Heroes. They are heroes in their own right. And so can all of us be. So, indeed, should all of us be, for we have it in us - each of us - to be a hero for Jamaica.

We may not make the headlines; we may not receive individual awards; we cannot all be declared national heroes. But each of us can be a hero in how we live our lives and in the simple but important things we do:

The new Charter of Rights

It is an important measure to strengthen and guarantee the rights of every Jamaican for which our National Heroes fought so hard and for which some of them sacrificed their lives.

The fight for freedom may have been won and our rights may have been secured through the toil and sacrifices of those we proclaim as our national heroes but the price of freedom is eternal vigilance and the cause of justice can never end.

The symbols of pride, which were conferred on Jamaicans for their contribution to nation building, make a beautiful picture. - photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Paying tribute

Today we salute Nanny of the Maroons, Samuel 'Daddy' Sharpe, Paul Bogle, George William Gordon, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, William Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington Manley.

They remain not just a memory of a distant past but our hope for the future because they symbolise the spirit of which great nations are made and they embody the qualities of the great people we can be.

Amid all the challenges and difficulties we face, look inside you and be strong and you'll finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you.

God bless Jamaica.

The Guard of Honour at the Ceremony of Investiture and presentation of National Honours and Awards.

Governor General of Jamaica Sir Patrick Allen confers the Order of Merit, Jamaica's third highest, on Professor Mervyn Eustace Morris for distinguished contribution to the field of West Indian literature.