Montana Senator Steve Daines presided over a special ceremony on Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol rotunda to honor the loved ones of the 13 American servicemen and women who were killed in the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport during the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Daines addressed the families by introducing a bipartisan bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 service members who were killed. The bill was signed into law in December 2021.
Senator Daines Presided as 13 Families Received Congressional Gold Medals
“This is legislation awarding Congress’s highest honor to the 13 brave service members who sacrificed for our country on August 26, 2021, at Abbey Gate,” began Senator Daines.
He described a poignant phone call to his father, a U.S. Marine veteran after the news was received about the 13 U.S. fatalities.
“I called my dad’s cell phone,” he said. “My dad is a tough Marine, but he didn’t pick up the phone. My mom picked it up, and I said, ‘Mom, have you heard the news about what happened in Afghanistan? My mom says we heard it. Your dad’s heard it. I said, can I talk to Dad? And she said he can’t talk right now. He can’t talk right now.”
Daines Addressed the Families of Those Killed at Abbey Gate
Daines then addressed the families.
“To the families here today, the loved ones lost at Abby Gate represent the values of service and sacrifice to a cause bigger than themselves,” he said. “I know that each one of you played an important role in instilling those values in your sons and your daughters, and for that reason, they represent the best of our country, and because of the important role that you played in their lives, you represent those values, too.”
Daines reached back to the first Memorial Day commemoration following the Civil War.
READ MORE: Montana Senator Demands NFL Commanders Honor Blackfeet Heritage
Daines Reached Back to the First Memorial Day After the Civil War
“In proclaiming the first Memorial Day in 1868, General John Logan wrote, and I quote, ‘Let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved. Let us in solemn presence renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us, a sacred charge upon the nation’s gratitude the soldiers and sailors, widow and orphan’.”
The families of each service member were then presented with the Congressional Gold Medal.
10 Montana Cities Ranked by How Diverse They AreMontana may not be known for its diversity but it is interesting to see the diversity within the state. WalletHub did a 2024 study of diversity in U.S. cities and we’ve pulled out the Montana cities below. Not all variables from the study are included, but you can get an idea of how diverse each city is.
Gallery Credit: Ashley
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66e6d23068084a5eadd2314b6a1d2d4a&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewstalkkgvo.com%2Fgold-star-families-medal-ceremony%2F&c=2293554017276263927&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-09-11 08:35:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.