Growing up in Military City USA, Memorial Day and honoring those who gave their lives in service to our country has always meant a great deal to me, even before I first put on my Air Force uniform.

This Memorial Day, I’m thinking of what American heroes have sacrificed to serve our nation and defend our freedoms. And, I’m thinking about the sacrifices made by the heroes here at home serving on the frontlines of this pandemic — the nurses, grocery store employees, bus and truck drivers, janitorial staff and more who are working tirelessly to keep us safe and healthy.

These folks never swore a formal oath, but their actions exemplify the same values that I swore to protect when I served in Iraq. We as a nation must ensure that those who have died in service of others during this pandemic are honored, too. We may never know all of their names. We may never know just how many lives they saved. But, we know they rushed to the frontlines of this pandemic to ensure the rest of us were safe and healthy, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice in the course of that selfless service.

On this Memorial Day, as I think about those who died to protect our freedoms, I am equally thankful today for those who are willing to risk it all for us, no matter what uniform they wear.

In service,

Gina Ortiz Jones

           

Paid for by Gina Ortiz Jones for Congress

 

Gina Ortiz Jones was a member of the United States Air Force. Use of her military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense.