Across the generations – and across the centuries –
Americans have answered the call to duty and many paid the ultimate price. Memorial Day is a time to honor the memory
and service of all Veterans and military who have given their lives in the
service of this country. No greater sacrifice could ever be asked of an
individual. The service of these Veterans has impacted the life of every single
citizen of this great nation. It is for that sacrifice that I salute my fallen
comrades.
There is no observance in America more somber than Memorial
Day. In events held across America this
Memorial Day weekend, people will gather in small towns and big cities for one
purpose: to remember our fallen, pay homage to their sacrifice and courage, and
to recognize the selflessness of military service.
Every day, young men and women are returning from
Afghanistan. Most come home to joyous
reunions with loved ones. Others come
home with the visible and invisible wounds of armed conflict, while still
others return in solemn, eternal repose beneath a draped American flag.
We can’t even begin to contemplate the world today had men
and women we honor on Memorial Day not stood fast against our enemies
throughout history. It is never over. Missions may end but the legacies left
and the pain of their absence endures. This Memorial Day, let us remember.
Another very special event, the Ride for Healing will take
place at the end of this month, and I commend Lee Ulferts, a fellow Vietnam
Veteran and Commander of the MN Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for his efforts
in coordinating this very important event.
This week long event will start on May 27, 2013
with a ceremony at the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial in St. Paul.
Motorcycles and classic cars will leave St. Paul and travel to all four corners
of the state. Vietnam Veteran recognition rallies will be held in over 60
communities over a four day period. The public is invited to all the events,
which are free to show support to a generation of Veterans who deserve our
gratitude. Then on May 31, the four teams will rally in the Brainerd Lakes area
for two days of events concluding on June 2. For ride details and to
participate in the ride visit the Ride for Healing website.
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