WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement:

 

“On this Memorial Day, we, as a nation, will pause and remember the sacrifices made by the courageous men and women who have fought and continue fighting to keep our nation safe. 

 

“With the ongoing service of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and Reserve in Afghanistan and Iraq, we honor the men and women who have given our nation so much. War is a difficult time for all who are serving, fighting and dying to defend our freedom and protect our liberty.  On Memorial Day, we celebrate and remember their stories and the families who support them.

 

“I remember my own father.  He volunteered to serve in the Air Force during World War II, and flew missions over Europe.  I remember the soldiers I met when visiting the war-torn battlefields of Iraq.  I think of our service members’ families who struggle as their beloved children, siblings, or spouses go off to war.  And I think of the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who remain in harm’s way in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.   

 

“Washington state has a proud and longstanding history of service in our nation’s Armed Forces.  This Memorial Day, I celebrate the men and women from Washington who have given so much to our nation, including the thousands of “citizen soldiers” who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.  All of them serve voluntarily, with the knowledge that they could one day have to pay the ultimate price to protect their country.

 

“Today we remember those who made that sacrifice and put their lives on the line in service to our great nation. Our prayers are with them, and we look forward to their speedy success and return home. Let us also remember their families and all who served in the Armed Forces.  Our hearts go out to families and loved ones, we are a nation that is profoundly grateful for their courage, dedication and sense of mission.Washingtonians and Americans thank you for your service.”

 

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