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Wicker honors next great generation of American patriots
Calls for troop support, recognition of sacrifice on Memorial Day By U.S. Senator
Roger F. Wicker In
observance of Memorial Day, communities and organizations across
Mississippi are holding ceremonies to honor those who have made the
ultimate sacrifice. On May 15, I was privileged
to attend a Bay Springs ceremony that brought together members of the
National Guard, servicemen who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
some 100 of our nation’s oldest veterans. Arnold
Flowers of Laurel was among two World War II veterans who gave moving
accounts of their experiences in the Bataan Death March. The veterans
– many of them in their 80s and 90s – helped honor a recently fallen
American hero, 20-year-old Marine Corporal Dustin Jerome Lee of
Quitman. Corporal Lee died in a mortar attack
in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2007. I hope it was a comfort to his family, who
also attended the event along with Dustin’s beloved bomb-sniffing dog,
Lex, to see patriots of that great generation pay tribute to their
young son’s sacrifice. The Next Great Generation Dustin
Jerome Lee is part of a new generation of American heroes who are
fighting for our freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. Currently,
2,486 Mississippians are deployed on active duty. Like many who served
before them, some of our brave troops have paid with their lives. Sixty-five
Mississippians have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The most
recent funeral service I attended was in February for Army Staff
Sergeant William Ricketts of Corinth. SSG Ricketts was a decorated hero
who served two tours of duty in Iraq and lost his life during a third
tour in Afghanistan. I was humbled to join his
family and friends in mourning, and I extend to them my deepest
gratitude for the sacrifice they have made – along with thousands of
other military families. The names of fallen
Mississippi sons and daughters like Corporal Lee and SSG Ricketts are
written into history, joining thousands of others and establishing a
new legacy of patriotism and service. While
some previous U.S. conflicts have relied on the draft to fill the
ranks, every man and woman in the military today has voluntarily joined
one of our service branches. Today, military
recruiting goals are being met and exceeded. As an Air Force veteran,
this fact fills me with pride and gives evidence that this is another
great generation of Americans. Providing for Our Troops I
am also reminded of the enormous responsibility Congress has to protect
and provide for our troops who are fighting in harm’s way. As a member
of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have the opportunity to play
an active role in the decisions that affect our military and our
continued efforts to defeat global terrorism. Since
late 2009, when President Obama announced a surge in troop force in
Afghanistan, more Americans have poured into that country to intensify
our counterinsurgency efforts. Over the past
several months, I have met in Afghanistan and in Washington with our
top generals and administration officials, as well as with Afghan
President Hamid Karzai, to make sure our strategy for victory in
Afghanistan is on point. The best way we can
honor the fallen is to make sure their fellow men and women in uniform
are equipped to finish this critical mission. Unlike
after previous wars, no treaty will ever be signed to end terrorism –
the only option is to defeat the enemy. Though some believe this an
insurmountable task, I am heartened by the words Mayor Rudy Giuliani
recently spoke at the University of Southern Mississippi commencement
ceremony: “We believe in God, and we believe in America…you can’t have
any stronger beliefs than those.” Our faith and
our patriotism will guide us through any challenge and will help ease
the pain of the losses we sustain as our service men and women fight to
preserve freedom in the 21st century.
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