ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Today, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) honored those who have given their lives in service to the United States at a Memorial Day Ceremony in Albuquerque. Prior to delivering remarks at the ceremony, Haaland met with a Gold Star Mothers Pat Merville, Kay Coleman, and Mary Koehler.

Haaland’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

Thank you and good morning Colonel, Governor Lujan Grisham, Mayor Keller, distinguished guests, friends, women and men in uniform, and veterans who have served this great nation.

I am so happy to be back in my old neighborhood! When my dad got stationed here in Albuquerque, my parents bought a house a few blocks from here; I saw this memorial being built and have enjoyed it as a community gathering place since then.

I’m honored to join you all as we remember the loyalty and bravery of our fallen soldiers and to reflect on the sacrifices they have made to protect us and the freedoms we enjoy.

Freedom comes at a cost, which has been paid by generations of service and sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and the families they leave behind when they are called upon to deploy.

Growing up in a military family where both my parents served, I know firsthand about having to say goodbye.

My dad was Major Dutch Haaland. He served 30 years in the Marine Corps, and went to Vietnam when I was 6. My mother Mary Toya served proudly in the US Navy, having met my dad when they were both stationed on Treasure Island, San Francisco.

My mother ran a tight ship at home, and after she left the service, her courage and dedication to the Corps and our family made it possible for my dad to further his career.

In Vietnam in 1967, my dad saved the lives of 6 Marines, but it wasn’t until 2014, in hearing the story by one of those men, that I began to truly understand the scope of what my dad had faced while fighting for our country. He had been awarded two Purple Hearts and the Silver Star Medal because of his time in combat.

It’s also become clear to me, why my mother made my siblings and I sit down at the kitchen table every night and write letters to my dad: she must have felt that any day she would get that dreaded phone call and she wanted my dad to know the depth of our love for him. When he died in 2005, many years after he retired, AND WHEN WE OPENED HIS FOOTLOCKER, our letters were all there, bound with string.

When I last went to visit my father at his resting place in Arlington National Cemetery amidst the rows of white marble and granite markers, I met the mother of a soldier who brought her folding chair all the way from New Jersey so that she could sit at her son’s grave. Her son’s childhood friend was buried just one row up.

I remember that mother when I think of the great responsibility Congress has to recognize the heavy burden borne by military families. When I assumed my role on the House Armed Services Committee, I made it my core mission to ensure we provide every support we can to the brave women and men who carry on the traditions of service that we honor today.

Our responsibility to servicemembers also means never forgetting our obligation to their families, and that’s why I introduced a bill that will hold private housing companies to a higher standard, so that service members don't have to worry about their families' housing while they're protecting our country.

As we all know, New Mexicans have a strong history of service, and ensuring all veterans, including, lesbians, gay, and trans veterans have access to VA services is also a priority. I introduced a bill to address those unique challenges and ensure that we’re keeping our promises.

We have with us today, folks who live every day with the memory of a loved one who they have lost in the line of duty. Parents who raised them, cared for them, taught them and instilled in them noble values. And daughters and sons who lost a parent on the battlefield. Though we can never know the degree of loss they have endured, we must honor them – and not just on Memorial Day but every day.

My fellow New Mexicans, I’d like us to recognize the Gold Star Moms who are with us today:

· Pat Merville - Albuquerque Chaperone, American Gold Star Mothers president for 2019. Her Son is Army Specialist Christopher Merville, who was Killed in Action in Iraq on 12 Oct 2004.
· Kay Coleman, whose son, Marine Sergeant Stephen Carpenter, died in Wildomer, CA on July 31, 2006.
· Mary Koehler, whose son, Marine Corporal Gary Koehler, died on November 1, 2006 in Haditha, Iraq.

At 3 p.m. local time every Memorial Day we observe The National Moment of Remembrance, where all Americans pause what they are doing, no matter where they are, for sixty seconds of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to our country.

Let us take that time this afternoon and remember our soldiers and give thanks that the spirit of their service lives on in those who are not with us today, because they’re deployed to areas across the globe.

May God bless our fallen heroes and their families and all who serve in the United States Armed Forces. I appreciate, so much, the opportunity to be here with you all today, and to the Marines I say Semper Fi.