| Speech by Governor Kulongoski |
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| November 11, 2006 |
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Afghan-Iraqi Freedom Memorial Dedication
Thank you Director Willis for your introduction.
I also want to thank the Oregon Adjunct General, Major General Raymond Rees, Representative Donna Nelson – and all of the legislators here today.
But my most important thank you goes to Oregon’s Gold Star families, our Oregon veterans and their families, the many representatives from veteran service organizations, and all of the members of the Oregon National Guard, each of who, for me, is a hero – and the very best of Oregon.
I also wish to thank everyone who helped make this memorial a reality, including the Afghan-Iraqi Freedom Memorial Foundation, the many companies and individuals who donated funds, supplies and labor, and the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs, Administrative Services and the Parks and Recreation.
Finally, I want to acknowledge and thank my good friends MJ and Clay Kesterson, who have worked tirelessly since the death of their son Erik to make this day possible.
Today is Veterans’ Day. And we have come to this sacred space to honor all of the men and women who have put on the uniform and served our nation, and to dedicate a new memorial to Oregon’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who fought and died in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom after the 9/11 attacks – 74 heroes with connections to Oregon have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As the Afghan-Iraqi Freedom Memorial foundation notes, and as all Americans know, “Freedom Isn’t Free.”
But Veterans’ Day – and this memorial – are not about numbers.
They are about remembering and honoring men and women, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters who gave up the simple pleasures in life, especially being with their families, for the hard – and sometimes deadly – work of defending our nation and its values.
Open debate and the freedom to dissent are the sacred gifts that our genius Founders bequeathed to us.
I would never want it any other way – and I know that you would not either.
But I can tell you – as Governor every time I receive a phone call and the voice on the other end tells me that another young hero from Oregon has been taken from us, I feel like a piece of my soul has been taken, too.
So, as we gather on this Veterans’ Day to dedicate the Afghan-Iraqi Freedom Memorial – what I’m thinking about most, and what I hope you are thinking about most – is our shared experience of sacrifice, tears, memory and loss.
No part of our state has been spared the supreme sadness that comes without saying goodbye to a hero who died in harm’s way.
This is Oregon’s roll call…
Salem, Albany, The Dalles, Woodburn, Bend, Estacada, Beaverton, Scappoose, Hood River, Hillsboro, Tangent, Reedsport, Corbett, Corvallis, Pendleton, Portland, Elgin, Eugene, Ashland, Winston, Newport, Lebanon, La Grande, Gresham, Brownsville, Madras, Roseburg, Sheridan, Springfield, McMinnville, Hammond, Klamath Falls, Umatilla, Cottage Grove, Sherwood, Coos Bay, Scio – and Vernonia have all been touched by the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
So, when it comes to understanding commitment to duty, the price of service, the meaning of valor, and the grief of war – we are one Oregon family.
And, like any family that has lost a loved one – this is the time for us to pull together, to wrap our arms around each other, to share our memories, to say thank you to friends and neighbors who stood by us, and to promise never to forget the heroes we mourn.
That is what this special Veterans’ Day is about. Creating a memorial – and hallowed ground – in remembrance of lost heroes that we will never forget and can never honor enough.
This memorial will not only bear the names of Oregonians who made – and will make – the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq, it will stand with other memorials from other wars as a place of prayer, reflection, contemplation and grace – where we can remember alone or with friends, standing or kneeling, on Veterans’ Day or any other day – the brave hearts that we loved and lost.
Today there are 74 names inscribed on this wall – and more will be added as long as our courageous troops remain in harm’s way. When – and how many – is in God’s hands.
What is in our hands is the power of remembrance – and the commitment to making sure we never forget great heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.
This power – and need – to remember is why families and friends will come here long after today’s dedication is over.
And it is why Oregonians – most of whom will never have known a fallen soldier, sailor, airman or Marine – will come here to say what each of us is saying today: Thank you for your service and – in President Lincoln’s words – “for the last full measure of your devotion.”
As for the millions of veterans we honor on November 11 who did make it back to the loving arms of their families – including many thousands here in Oregon – let me quote another American who once wore the uniform of our country:
“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
Those are the words of George Washington. And they are as true today as they were the day he wrote them.
So for those who left home in a uniform to protect our homes and way of life – let me say on behalf of all the people of Oregon: You are not just appreciated, you are forever respected, admired, remembered and valued.
As veterans, you have earned every laurel, every honor, and every word of praise that our nation can bestow.
I salute you. Your fellow citizens salute you. Your country salutes you.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the state and nation that all our veterans have so nobly served.
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