It's Memorial Day, when memory and mission converge. This day is not one of celebration. It is a day of solemn remembrance -- when our nation pauses to reflect on the profound cost of the freedoms and way of life we each hold so dear.
Behind every headstone and memorial etched with the names of our fallen service members are lives lived with deep purpose and conviction as defined by courage and sacrifice. As we honor the fallen, we must also speak of those whose fates remain unknown.
More than 81,000 American service members remain unaccounted for from conflicts dating back to World War II. Among them are hundreds of Oregonians whose names are etched into monuments and hearts as time marches forward. For their families, there has been no return, no final goodbye and no folded flag. Only a silence that spans generations filled with questions, memories and the hope that one day, answers may come.
Let us remember Oregon's deep and personal sacrifices including one Oregonian who died in the Civil War, 65 who were lost in the Spanish-American War, 1,030 who died in World War I, 3,757 who died in World War II, 269 who perished in the Korean War, 709 who were killed in Vietnam, one who died during the USS Pueblo incident, one in Panama, seven in the Persian Gulf and 142 in the post 9-11 conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Each number is a name. Each name is a story and a reminder of the sacrifice made not only in distant places, but right here in Oregon.
On Memorial Day, the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs invites you to join in the National Moment of Remembrance -- one minute of silence for those who gave everything so that we may live freely.
