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Dear Fellow Vermonter,
Many years ago, when I was mayor of Burlington, we held a ceremony in City Hall with the parents of young men who had died in Vietnam. I have never forgotten that very painful event.
As a Congressman and Senator, I have attended too many funerals for young Vermonters who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and remember the grief on the faces of their parents.
Memorial Day is a time in which we honor and remember those Americans who died in battle, and recognize the unimaginable losses their families have experienced.
It is also a time in which we make certain that every veteran who does return home receives the benefits they are entitled to in a timely manner.
Lastly, it is a day in which we recommit ourselves to doing everything possible to end the scourge of war. In the 21st century, nations should be able to resolve conflicts without the horrific amount of bloodshed we see year after year.
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