May 25, 2024

Duckworth Pays Tribute to Fallen Servicemembers at Chicago Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony

 

[CHICAGO, IL] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today paid tribute to our nation’s fallen servicemembers at the City of Chicago’s wreath laying ceremony to commemorate Memorial Day. Duckworth joined City of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Veterans and servicemembers to honor local Gold Star families and remember loved ones who were killed in the line of duty. Photos of today’s event are available on the Senator’s website.

“This weekend is a somber reminder for our entire nation,” Duckworth said. “Memorial Day is a day to remember all those who answered the call not for themselves, not for their family members, but for democracy and for this great nation. Because you see, when you serve this nation, you’re stepping forward to defend our Constitution and our freedoms for the entire nation. And when you lay down your life in that process, you are laying down your life for people who will never know your name, never know to thank you, never know that you did this. But they will benefit, and their children and grandchildren will benefit from your sacrifice. And what we who remain behind can do, those of us who survive, is to continue that commitment to our democracy, to pass that legacy on and to continue to strive for that more perfect union our Founders intended.”

Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service in 2014 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Duckworth is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), which has jurisdiction over the nation’s common defense, military operations, servicemember pay and retirement, military family benefits and the selective service system. 

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