John,

On Memorial Day, we remember our fallen. And in this remembrance, we get a better understanding of what it means to be an American—of who we are.

When Matt left for combat in Iraq, our future was uncertain. We didn’t know if we’d have one wedding anniversary or ten, if we’d ever have kids, if, even if he came home, we’d be the same people we were before he left. In this experience, we readied ourselves for any outcome, embracing what we believed to be something so much bigger than us: our faith and love in one another as Americans.

In the months and years that followed, we lost friends, and we learned to cope and live with the new normal from Matt’s traumatic brain injury and PTSD.

Today, we’ll be holding many folks in our hearts, honoring the profound sacrifices made by our brave service members and their families. Their courage leaves us with an enduring legacy of unwavering American resilience.

While Memorial Day is about the remembrance of those who have passed, we know that we honor that remembrance by seeing each other as Americans first.

We look out for each other rather than leave one another behind.

We memorialize those we’ve lost not just with words but through our actions.

And we fight for our democracy, just as our friends, family, and neighbors fought for it.

As we gather in remembrance today, let's honor those who gave everything for our freedom by continuing to stand together, support one another, and cherish the democracy they fought so valiantly to protect.

With deepest gratitude,

Callie