Memorial Day

Every year, Memorial Day marks the informal start of summer. The weather gets warmer, beaches become filled with weekenders, barbeques are firing up, and before you know it we will be getting ready for our annual Independence Day celebrations. Of course those are all reasons to be happy for this holiday and to celebrate the season, but we also must take time to remember the meaning of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is the day we designate to remember those who have given their lives in service to our country. We honor the fallen, and remember what they have done so that we can continue to enjoy our freedom and way of life. While we do that, we also take this as a special opportunity to honor our surviving military members, both individuals currently serving and veterans. They put their lives on the line for our country and for that we all owe them a great deal of gratitude every day, but especially on a day which we single out for reverence to the military.

It always troubles me to hear that many of our veterans come back home after serving and face problems accessing and affording the services and support they need. These men and women have fought for us and as an act of gratitude, we as a society should provide them with their basic needs. To that end, I was pleased to support a recent bill to create a “Delaware Veterans Trust Fund,” which will be a dedicated source of funds to help veterans pay for services including medical needs, educational training and home repairs, just to name a few. Over the coming years, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature to expand the funding sources for the trust.

Once again, I wish all of you and your families a happy and healthy summer, and I extend a special thanks to those of you who have served our country as a member of the armed forces. We owe our freedom to the work you have done.