Memorial Day

In Alaska, service runs deep; it is woven into the tapestry of our State. When our nation is in need, Alaskans have always answered the call - from the battlegrounds of World War II and the frozen landscape of Korea, to the jungles of Vietnam, the deserts of Iraq, and mountains of Afghanistan. The names of the heroes from our home state are etched in veterans’ cemeteries across Alaska, in the headstones of Arlington, in the wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial - their sacrifices have been memorialized not for their glory, but for us to remember the heavy cost of freedom.

We set aside Memorial Day to remember the fallen, to ensure that the sacrifices made by those who gave what President Lincoln called the “last full measure of devotion” are never forgotten.

Each of us has our own way of honoring the legacies of those we have lost. For me, it's about more than just recognizing the bravery of the men and women who have laid down their lives for our nation, but also about reaffirming my commitment to public service and my role as a United States Senator. When I take a stance that could send a young man or woman to war, it weighs heavily. For me, it's a vote. For that young soldier, it could mean months, even years in the sand, dirt, and mud, far from their loved ones and friends. It could mean they never return home.

I'm reminded of General Douglas MacArthur's famous "Duty, Honor, Country" speech to the Cadets of West Point in 1962. In that speech, he said, "The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of War."

Today, I commit to redouble my efforts for our Goldstar families and those who served alongside the fallen, their fellow warriors. From local casework to national legislation, I am committed to advocating for these families and veterans, to ensure they can access the benefits they deserve, and to carefully scrutinize actions that could lead us into War.

In his book Tribe, writer and Journalist Sebastian Junger observed, 'Today's veterans often come home to find that, although they're willing to die for their country, they're not sure how to live for it.' I believe that we should all make a solemn commitment to building a country that lives up to the ideals that our veterans were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for.