Governor Baker: "Honor and Remember Those We’ve Lost and the Families They’ve Left Behind"

VIDEO: Governor Baker: "Honor and Remember Those We’ve Lost and the Families They’ve Left Behind"

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker attended the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund Memorial Day Ceremony with Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Mayor Marty Walsh and Secretary Francisco Urena to honor and remember our fallen military heroes in recognition of Memorial Day.

Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Boston Common, Boston, MA

May 25, 2017

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Transcription:

GOVERNOR BAKER: "I can’t stress how important it is that we do honor and remember those we’ve lost and the families they’ve left behind. 

"I was at an event back in January and speaking to a crowd about something that had nothing to do with military service but I knew that one of the folks who’d been a part of this organization had actually been a member of our Armed Services and had in fact died in Iraq. So in the course of my comments I just spent a few minutes talking about him: about where he was from, what he was interested in as a kid, why he joined the service, how he died, and how much he would have loved to have been there that day to continue to participate in this community service activity with all of his friends and his colleagues. And I asked for people to just take a moment of silence to remember him. People did that, and it was beautiful. 

"And then a few months later, a letter showed up at my house that had gotten lost in the mail of the State House, and it was a letter from his mom. She said I just wanted you to know, that even though I wasn't there that day, a whole bunch of people told me what you said about my son and I just want you to know how important it is for us, the parents, the families of those who are lost, that they not be forgotten, that they be remembered and that people continue to speak of them and speak well of them now that they are no longer here to continue to create their own memories. It was a beautiful letter. 

"It spoke to this notion that we, those who benefit from the service and the sacrifice of those who wear the uniform and their families, need to be clear about our commitment to honor them, to remember them, and to thank them for what they have done on our behalf." 

In honor of Memorial Day, Governor Baker has ordered that the United States flag and the Commonwealth flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until noon and full staff from noon until sunset on Monday, May 29th, 2017. The order applies to the main or administration building of each public institution of the Commonwealth, other state-owned or state-controlled buildings and all state military installations.