Good morning, and thank you for inviting me to take part in your Memorial Day

observance.

Ironically, it is far too easy to forget that this is supposed to be a day of

remembrance. Memorial Day has become the unofficial beginning of summer, a 3day weekend more about barbecues than battlefields, more about retail sales than
cemeteries, more about a time of leisure than a time of sacrifice. I am glad to see
that Nashwauk has not forgotten why this holiday is important. By being here
today, you recognize the great price that so many men and women in uniform paid
to protect our Nation.

In World War II, our military lost more than 400,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines and
airmen. In Korea another 36,000. In Vietnam, 58,000. And in the days since
September 11, 2001, we have lost nearly 7,000 more, in a conflict that has no
definite end in sight.

But as we remember those who were carried from the field of battle, let us also
remember those who still carry the battlefield with them. In a military culture filled
with acronyms, our current conflicts have added a few new ones: PTSD, TBI, MST.
These wounds are not visible to the naked eye, but the warriors carrying those scars
are no less wounded. They walk among us, often self-medicating with drugs or
alcohol, often not receiving the treatment or services that they need and deserve.
We lose an estimated 22 veterans every day to suicide. And sometimes, those men
and women who defended our freedoms risk losing their own freedom, as their
illness and injury manifest in unacceptable behavior.

For the past two years in Duluth, we have operated a special calendar for veterans
who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The goal is not to excuse
any criminal behavior, but to dig a little deeper into the causes of that behavior; to
treat the disease rather than merely the symptoms. By connecting these veterans
with services to which they are entitled, we can, hopefully, solve issues of addiction
or mental health or employment or housing and get them back to a place in their
lives when they served their country with honor. We owe them no less.

As I near the end of my own military career, it is hard not to be a little

introspective. As the father of a son who wants to attend a service academy, I want
to believe that someday our Nation will achieve a complete and lasting peace. But

as a realist--some might say a cynic--I honestly do not believe that will happen in
my lifetime. The world continues to be a dangerous place, and the darker side of
human nature still leads to armed conflict. For thousands of years, mankind has
waged wars over disputed territory, over resources, and over religion. The
technology has changed, the tactics have changed, and players have changed, but
war remains. Sadly, I am quite certain that circumstances will require our men and
women in uniform to travel into harm's way. These Memorial Day observances will
continue to add new names and new places where our servicemembers paid what
Abraham Lincoln called the "last full measure of devotion."

We cannot, however, simply resign ourselves to the inevitability of war, honor our
dead, and just walk away. As citizens, we must choose our leaders carefully and
hold them accountable for the decisions to use military force. As a community, we
must support those families left behind, and those warriors who return affected by
what we sent them to do. And to my fellow veterans, we bear responsibility, no
matter how long ago we last took off the uniform, to make sure we intervene upon
seeing the signs of trouble in these returning warriors, and reinforce that seeking
help is a sign of strength, and not a sign of weakness. Let us never become numb
to the horrors of war or the toll it takes on so many of those who serve. Let us vow
to ask for that sacrifice only when necessary.

Let me close by thanking all of you for being here today. You might be here to
remember a specific individual, or out of personal patriotism, or as a family
tradition. But by being here as a community to remember the fallen, you
strengthen the support for our current military men and women throughout the
world. You show our Nation's enemies that we can still unite for a common purpose,
no matter how divided we might appear. And you demonstrate that as a people, we
do not take for granted those freedoms this country enjoys.

Thank you again for letting my family be a part of this day with you, and God bless.