I lost 14 of my West Point classmates in war. Not one of them lived to see their 28th birthday. When they gave their last full measure of devotion, it wasn’t for Black Americans, White Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Asian Americans.
It was for all Americans.
Because in the crucible of battle, there are no hyphens, no divisions, only brothers and sisters bound by the flag on our shoulder and the country we swore to defend.
We are Americans first.
And because they can no longer serve, it is our sacred duty to carry forward the mission, to serve our nation, our communities, and each other, with the same courage and conviction that they showed on the battlefield.
That is how we honor them.