Memorial Day Ceremony at Tahoma National Cemetery (As Written)

May 29, 2006

Governor Gregoire: On the first Memorial Day back in 1868�before there was a Tahoma National Cemetery or a King County�family and friends across our country gathered at the graves of the more than half-million soldiers who fought and died during the Civil War.

It was originally called �Decoration Day� because that�s what folks did, in every small town, rural village, and big city in America: Decorate the graves of those who paid the ultimate price.

On this Memorial Day, volunteers and veterans will decorate the graves of our servicemen and women buried here at Tahoma. They will honor the memory of men like Sergeant First Class Nathan Ross Chapman, the first American serviceman killed in Afghanistan in 2002. They will honor men like Francis Agnes, a POW from 1941 to 1945 and a survivor of the Bataan Death March.

On this Memorial Day, and on behalf of all the citizens of Washington, I want to express my condolences to the families of our men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service to their community, to their state, and to their country. Today we honor their example of selflessness. Today we recall their willingness to sacrifice, to serve, and to pay the ultimate price to keep us safe.

Again and again, our soldiers have answered the call to service. World War II. Korea. Vietnam. The Persian Gulf. Afghanistan. Iraq. Our soldiers have left knowing they might not return. They have gone because they knew that �freedom isn�t free.�

Today we come together in solemn pride to recognize the heroism of those who served our country and didn�t make it home. Both in times of war and peace, our men and women in uniform have served with courage, commitment, and devotion.

And the legacy they leave is the country we live in.

We recognize those who died so that we may live in freedom, and we reflect on the service and the sacrifice of our servicemen and women now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our nation � and our state � are eternally grateful.

Our fallen soldiers have come from all ethnic backgrounds and religions. Latinos, African-Americans, Asian-Pacific-Islanders, and Native Americans; Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Muslims. People who have faced discrimination at home but have answered the call of duty to protect our freedom.

My husband, Mike, is a Vietnam veteran, and he lost a lot of friends in that war.

As it�s written in the Gospel of John, �Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.�

Those, like Mike, who took the oath and served in combat know the tragedy of war. They understand that in war, no soldier escapes unwounded.

We see more than just names on the headstones in this cemetery. We see family and friends. We remember the little things � a smile, a postcard, a picture � that keep our loved ones with us.

Their sacrifice is a continuation of a long and proud legacy, and their service should never be far from our thoughts and prayers.

It is an honor to be a part of this ceremony. Our fallen soldiers asked very little of the country they served, but we owe them so much. Today it is our turn to serve. It is our turn to pay our deepest respects to all of our fallen heroes.

Thank you.


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