Memorial Day Commemorations
US Senator Tom Carper
May 28, 2018
Dear Friends,
For many Delawareans, Memorial Day is a time to celebrate the start of the summer season. With backyard barbeques and trips to Delaware’s five-star beaches, this long weekend is a welcome opportunity to spend time with family, friends and neighbors.
As we celebrate summer, we also remember the brave men and women who have made these celebrations possible. Honoring our fallen heroes, and saluting the service of our veterans and current servicemembers and their families, is a tradition we must never forget.
Later this year, Delaware’s military history and the sacrifices we have made alongside so many others will be honored with the launching of the USS Delaware, a Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine. As a 23-year veteran of the Navy and Naval Reserves, serving as a P-3 aircraft mission commander, I spent years tracking submarines just like the USS Delaware, and I know what an honor it is to have this incredible vessel named for our state.
Adding the USS Delaware to our military family will continue our centuries-long tradition of excellence that continues to be displayed by our world-class airmen and women at Dover Air Force Base, our citizen-soldiers in the Delaware Army and Air National Guard, our Coast Guard contingent at Indian River Inlet and our 73,000 veterans who call the First State home.
I hope you’ll take a moment today to watch my Memorial Day message (below) and join me in honoring the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers and saying “Thank You” to all of our veterans in Delaware and around the world.
Happy Memorial Day and God bless America.
Office of Lieutenant Governor
Bethany Hall-Long
DE Lt Gov Bethany Hall-Long
As we gather with our families and friends to celebrate this Memorial Day, it’s important that we pay tribute to those men and women who have given their lives in service to our nation.
As the wife of a Navy veteran, I understand the obligation and the duty we owe to the bravery and heroism of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our great country.
On behalf of my office, we remember those we have lost and sincerely thank all veterans for your service, and wish you the best this Memorial Day.
Sincerely,
Bethany
Bethany Hall-Long
Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
Cardin Commemorates Memorial Day 2018
Courtesy State of MD
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in recognition of Memorial Day 2018, which this year is celebrated on Monday, May 28.
“Across our proud nation this Memorial Day weekend, we remember the men and women of our Armed Forces who made the greatest sacrifice imaginable. Whether it was on the battlefield of Antietam, the beaches of Normandy or in the mountains of Afghanistan, thousands of Americans have taken up the mission to defend their nation at home and abroad knowing that they may not survive. This Memorial Day, we pay honor to their immense courage.
“I specifically remember the sacrifices of my fellow citizens from Maryland like those of Specialist Tocarra Green during this time. She was the first woman from Maryland to die in the Iraq War. I remember Sergeant Erick M. Houck, a Baltimore native like me, who died in Afghanistan just last year. It is a remarkable notion that these fellow citizens were willing to pay such a high cost for my own freedom. They and those like them deserve every honor we can bestow.
“Memorial Day weekend often serves as an opportunity for Americans to spend time with friends and family. As we consider the cost of our freedom, let us also remember the families of our fallen, our Gold Star families. As we remember the sacrifices of our service members we recognize the tremendous loss to these great American families and admire their patriotism.
“In spite of all of these sacrifices, the struggle to preserve our freedom continues. Just as in times past, our enemies seek threaten the freedom for which our American brothers and sisters have laid down their lives. These enemies have attacked the integrity of our electoral system and our freedom of speech while seeking to reverse our progress against racial inequity and religious freedom. One of the best ways to honor our fallen heroes is for us to work together to defend our freedom and our American principles. We cannot allow the erosion of the liberties our friends have fought so hard to defend.
“As I pray for the families of our fallen this weekend, I will also pray for our men and women currently serving at home and abroad along with their families. I am truly grateful for those who have served our country past and present and I will continue to do my very best to serve them.”
