On Memorial Day, as we should every day, we take time as a nation to pause and remember the brave Americans who gave their lives in defense of our country, and we honor the sacrifice they made to keep us free. It presents us a special time to formally show our gratitude to the men and women bravely serving our country, while teaching another generation to understand and respect the service of our nation. 

Click Here to Watch My Memorial Day Video Message

Every so often when I am in Washington, D.C., I walk down the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial. While making that walk, you pass by the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Wall and then come back by the Korean War Memorial. This always serves as a reminder to me that those who served our country did so for the most honorable reasons: to defend our freedom. While in Washington, D.C. this week, I made this walk to pay tribute to those who have served throughout our country’s history and those who have found new and innovative ways to serve due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After I returned to Kansas, I was grateful for the opportunity to start Memorial Day weekend in Wakefield by placing flags on grave sites at Highland Cemetery. On Memorial Day, I encourage all of us to find ways to pay tribute to the tremendous sacrifice the brave men and women who serve our country have made to protect our freedoms. Thank you to Dennis and Linda Olson and VFW Post #7774 for allowing me to join you at Highland Cemetery.

If you are looking for ways to commemorate Memorial Day tomorrow:

• I will be at Fort Riley for a Virtual Memorial Day Ceremony at 11:45am that will be streamed live on Facebook from the Fort Riley Post Cemetery. I encourage you and your family to watch the event live, here.
  I will also be participating in the Virtual Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by the National World War I Museum in Kansas City. To learn more about the museum’s virtual all-day events, click here.

Read my Memorial Day editorial in Military Times about how a generation of successful veterans is our best investment as a nation.

It is an honor to serve our nation’s heroes as chairman on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Click Here to Watch More on My Work for Our Nation's Veterans