Today, on Memorial Day, we remember the heroes who gave everything for the country we love. Today, I especially remember my dad, pictured above with me at West Point.
For those who don’t know his story, he was drafted into Vietnam and served from 1966–1967 as an infantryman and tunnel rat with the 4th Infantry Division. Though he survived the war and made it home, he passed away in 2013 from cancer caused by Agent Orange — a reminder that for many veterans, the wounds of war continued long after the fighting ended.
In Robertson County, here in TN-7, we are honored to have the Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Memorial, which pays tribute to those who later lost their lives to illnesses connected to their service.
My dad taught my brother and me to love America, to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy, and to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation.
On this Memorial Day, I am deeply grateful for the men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom, for the Gold Star Families who bear that sacrifice every day, and for the communities that keep their memory and legacy alive.
May we never forget the debt we owe to those who gave all.