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Dear John,
Since our nation’s founding, more than 1.3 million American service members have died in war. Memorial Day is the day we honor those who gave their lives in service to this country.
For that reason, many veterans ask that we not say “Happy Memorial Day.” For those who served, this day can mean revisiting the loss of friends and comrades who never came home. And while it is always appropriate to support and appreciate veterans, Memorial Day is about those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
As you spend time with family and friends today, please take a moment to reflect on those who gave their lives in service to our nation. If you know a veteran, check in on them. Offer support if they need it, and space if they want it. And if you know a veteran who is struggling, remember that help is available through the 988 Crisis Line.
If we truly want to honor veterans and the fallen, we must do more than hold ceremonies once a year. We must support policies that care for veterans year-round: healthcare, including mental healthcare, strong programs to combat homelessness, protections for veterans and military families, and the defense of the democratic rights so many Americans fought and died to protect.
Honoring the fallen also requires something deeper: a commitment that we do not send Americans into war unless every other option has been exhausted. Every name on every memorial wall represents a profound sacrifice and a solemn national decision. Those decisions must never be made casually, politically, or dishonestly.
This year, American service members have once again been placed in harm’s way amid rising tensions and military escalation in the Middle East. We should always ask the hardest question before any military action: Was war truly the last resort? Diplomacy must never be treated as weakness, and military force must never be treated as politically convenient.
To truly honor those who gave what Abraham Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion,” we must demand from our leaders a standard worthy of that sacrifice: that America goes to war only when there is no other path left.
Our fallen heroes deserve that much. So do the living who may be called to serve next.
To learn more about the Delaware Democratic Veterans and Military Families Caucus, please visit Delaware Democratic Veterans and Military Families Caucus [[link removed]] .
With gratitude,
— Jeff Quiggle
Chair, Delaware Democratic Party Veterans and Military Families Caucus
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