Democratic Party of Georgia

Help Move Georgia Forward

Rep. Scott Holcomb’s Statement Commemorating Memorial Day

Release:  Monday, May 25, 2015                                                                                       

 

Rep. Scott Holcomb’s Statement Commemorating Memorial Day

 

 Atlanta, GA – Today, Georgia State Representative Scott Holcomb released the following statement commemorating Memorial Day:

 

“Today, we remember and honor those who lost their lives in service to our nation. We remember those who died and what they died for—for us and for our freedoms. We remember the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price defending our country. Our history, and our present, is marked with patriots who answered the call, fought to keep us safe, and sacrificed for the nation.

 

“For the families of fallen servicemembers, today is a day of personal remembrance for their loved ones. Let us keep these families in our thoughts and prayers.

 

“Today is also a day of remembrance for veterans who served in combat and lost their brothers and sisters-in-arms. For them, Memorial Day is when thoughts return to battlefields and war zones. It is a day when they run their fingers over names etched on tombstones and memorials, a day when they remember comrades and resolve to honor their memories.

 

“This Memorial Day, let us join together to remember those who died defending our country and resolve to honor their memories by ensuring that our country’s blessings are available to all Americans. As we honor and remember, let us also recommit ourselves to the values that make our country great and worthy of our fallen heroes’ sacrifices. When we do so, America remains a nation worthy of their sacrifices.”

 

Scott Holcomb serves as the State Representative for District 81. A veteran, Scott served for six years in the Air National Guard and six years on active duty with the U.S. Army. He deployed overseas for Operations Joint Forge (Bosnia), Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Iraqi Freedom.

 

Memorial Day Message from Senator Ed Harbison

 

A Memorial Day Message from Senator Ed Harbison

 

 Columbus, GA – Today, Sen. Ed Harbison released the following statement in observance of Memorial Day.

 

“On this solemn day, we honor not only our fallen, but also the families of those lost defending our nation and its values. We owe a debt of gratitude to the loved ones of the servicemen and servicewomen who were left behind.

 

“One of the greatest honors we can give to the soldiers and families who have given the ultimate sacrifice is remembering our obligation to the living. There is much to be done in securing a future where every veteran has an opportunity to pursue an education and receive the quality health services he or she deserves.

 

“Let us honor the legacy of these brave men and women by renewing a call for sacrifice. Too often in modern times, generations drift from the selflessness embodied by those who were willing to lay down their lives for their fellow countrymen. My challenge for every Georgian this Memorial Day is to set aside their own self-interest and take more responsibility for their communities and country.”

 

Senator Ed Harbison has represented Georgia’s 15th Senate District since 1992. He currently serves on the Senate Banking and Financial, Insurance and Labor, Interstate Cooperation, Reapportionment and Redistricting, Regulated Industries and Utilities, and Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committees.

 

Sen. Harbison served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and is a Purple Heart recipient.

Memorial Day Message from Rep. Scott Holcomb

Several months ago, I had the great honor of visiting Normandy. As I walked along Omaha Beach and looked at the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, the only thought that ran through my mind was, “I don’t know how they did it.”  The site of the D-Day invasion was a kill zone, yet those who fought that day kept moving forward and ultimately succeeded.  They did so even when they knew they might die.  And thousands were killed.

The spirit of service and sacrifice that has defined our service members for generations lives on today.  Anyone who has served during wartime can attest to this.  And it is right for us to honor those who died in service to our nation.

When you take a moment to honor the fallen on this Memorial Day, please also say a prayer for their families.  For them, this holiday is a somber reminder of their loss.

May God Bless America, and those who protect her.

 

Very respectfully yours,

 

Rep. Scott Holcomb

U.S. Army Veteran

 

Memorial Day Message from Rep. Scott Holcomb

Few holidays impact me as much as Memorial Day.  As one of my friends who is a veteran said so well, “Memorial Day isn’t when we remember what we won.  It’s when we remember what we lost.”

For the last several days, I’ve been remembering the fallen.  I started by recalling the first time the meaning of this holiday really hit home.  It was after I had enlisted in the Air National Guard and I was driving with my father.  It was very late, well after midnight, and as we were about to exit he asked me to drive a little farther.  Minutes later, we pulled up to a Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

We got out of the car and sat down on a bench a few meters from the V sculpture engraved with names.  My father had served in Vietnam and I was born while he was overseas, but we had never talked about what happened over there. We sat together in silence for the better part of an hour and he eventually uttered a single statement: “Darkness.  That’s all I remember.”  He then went up to the memorial and placed his hand over several names.  It was an incredibly powerful moment.

Three decades after my father’s service in Vietnam, I deployed three times with the U.S. Army.  After those experiences, I now know what it feels like to run my hand over names etched in stone.  The sense of loss and grief is paralyzing.

As we honor the fallen on Memorial Day, please join me in praying for all of the families who lost loved ones to war.  And let us also pray for the safe return of our women and men who are fighting to keep us safe around the globe.

God Bless America, and those who protect her.

Very respectfully yours,

Rep. Scott Holcomb