Joe Kent: A Memorial Day Message

The following article is adapted from a speech by U.S. Army CW3 (Retired) Joe Kent at a Memorial Day Event in Amboy, WA, on 27 May 2024. Joe Kent is running for Congress in Washington State's 3^rd Congressional District

Today, I was asked to speak and share my experiences regarding what Memorial Day means to me. I have the perspective of both a veteran and a Gold Star Husband. I served 20 years in the military, including 11 combat deployments, and watched countless friends die during the Global War on Terror. I also lost my late wife, Shannon Kent, who was killed fighting ISIS in Syria in 2019 on her 5^th combat deployment. Memorial Day is very special to me and I know it is to other veterans and our fellow Americans. On this day and every day, we reflect on the many people who didn't come home with us from battle but are forever with us in our hearts. Memorial Day is when we reflect and honor their sacrifice by committing ourselves to being the best Americans we can be. Sometimes, this is easy to forget, but at the end of every day, we have to look ourselves in the mirror and ask,

"Did we live up to the honor and the valor that was bestowed upon us, given to us by those who paid the ultimate sacrifice?"

"Did we live up to those ideals that so many people gave their lives for?"

"Are we living a life worthy of their sacrifice?"

It's important that we ask ourselves these questions and that we be Americans who are worth dying for. So many people gave their lives for our nation and its future generations. Though it is somber to reflect on these sacrifices, it is not a charter to live in sorrow, dwell on the past, or dwell on all we've lost. We must live our lives to the fullest potential in honor of those who gave their lives for us. There's not one person – whether it's my late wife or the countless comrades who died on the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places – that would want us to dwell in eternal sorrow.

While researching Memorial Day's origins, I found something very interesting in the U.S. Code that codifies Memorial Day as a Federal Holiday. The code states that the last Monday of every May will be Memorial Day, a day for us to reflect on those who paid the ultimate price on our behalf. However, that's not all. There is another significant part that many people may not know or may have forgotten. The code states that on Memorial Day, we pray for peace as a nation – "the people unite in prayer for a permanent peace."

No one is better postured to lead this prayer and pray for peace than veterans and Gold Star Families – as we understand the gravity of war. We know what it means to bury someone and never see them again. We understand what it means to hold your friend, a man that you love, in your arms as he dies. No one knows the cost of war more than we do. This prayer for peace is imperative, but we must also lead a call to action from that prayer. We must speak out against sending troops to war if it's not in our vital U.S. National Security interest. Veterans who fought in the post-World War II era are painfully aware that our government has consistently exploited the patriotism and valor of our warriors by sending U.S. troops off to fight in wars that didn't benefit the American people. It's essential for us veterans to speak out and say,

 "Never again. We are not going to let another Vietnam or Iraq happen."

That's not a call to be doves. We're not doves, but we're not hawks. We must be owls – wise and watchful over our country and good stewards of the legacy of those who gave their last full measure for our nation.

I try to live every day in honor of my late wife and in honor of all those who did not make it home. We strive to preserve our republic because our republic cannot be taken down by any exterior force- no nation on earth or terrorist organization on earth can break America. America can only be broken from within. In honor of the sacrifice of previous generations, we must move forward, find unity, and live in their honor. Thank you very much. God Bless America.

Learn more about Joe Kent at www.joekentforcongress.com