ALCOAST 203/21 - MAY 2021 MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE

united states coast guard

R 310400Z MAY 21
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 203/21
SSIC 1000
SUBJ: MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE
1. Annually on Memorial Day, a federal holiday that falls on
the last Monday of May, Americans honor and mourn those members
of our Armed Forces who gave their “last full measure of devotion”
in the defense of our great Nation. This Memorial Day, I call on
all members of Team Coast Guard to reflect on the service and
sacrifice of all American military personnel who died in the
performance of their military duties, and to pay tribute to these
heroes and to honor the family members they left behind.
2. Since the first Memorial Day observance following the Civil War,
known then as “Decoration Day,” through the Memorial Day ceremonies
that will take place in cities and small towns across the Nation
today, Americans will pause to reflect on the weighty price of
freedom and the ultimate sacrifices of those that swore an oath
to the Constitution of the United States of America.
3. Our Coast Guard’s storied history is replete with heroes, and
today we remember their names and honor their service. We remember
great Coast Guardsmen like Signalman First Class Douglas Munro,
LT Jimmy Crotty, LT Colleen Cain, Seaman Apprentice William Flores,
Damage Controlman Third Class Nathan Bruckenthal, Boatswain’s Mate
Senior Chief Terrell Horne, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Morgan
Garrett. These are but a few of a long list of extraordinary Coast
Guard men and women, some that came before us and some we served
alongside of.
4. Today you carry their legacy forward. You honor the memory of
their service through your commitment and your sacrifices in the
defense of our Nation at home and around the world, and I am
enormously proud to serve alongside each of you. I thank you and
your families this Memorial Day for standing the watch, and Dawn
and I join you as we remember and reflect on those heroes that
sacrificed everything to protect and defend a shared commitment
to the ideals of a Nation where all are created equal. May our
Service shine as a beacon to their legacy!
5. ADM Karl Schultz, Commandant (CCG), sends.
6. Internet release is authorized.