Anne Landry's Memorial Day Remarks

Select Board member Anne Landry's Memorial Day Remarks

It is an honor to be with you all today on behalf of the Reading Select Board as we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of our country.

It was truly a privilege to hear earlier this morning from Reading’s own retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond. His exemplary service has continued in his leadership of the Home Base program, a partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital. In his dedication to “healing the invisible wounds of veterans of all eras, service members, military families and families of the fallen through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research,” he and Home Base provide a critical and invaluable service to our community, our Commonwealth, and particularly to all those individuals and families impacted by war. A few years ago, my family attended the Run to Home Base in honor of my cousin, Graeme, who currently serves in the Air Force. It was a moving and powerful event and a testament to the organization and its mission. Thank you, Brigadier General Hammond, for your service, past and present.

I cannot claim to know the incalculable grief of a Gold Star family, nor the invisible wounds born by a friend of a fellow fallen service member. Some of you here with us today know that grief and pain, whether your friend or family member was one of the 6,974 killed to date in the War on Terror or was one of the 1.1 million military service members who have died in wartime in our nation’s history.

Today, I am personally remembering my friend, U.S. Army Captain David Haas. I knew David in college at the University of Richmond, where his devotion to service extended even beyond his participation in ROTC. Together, we were involved in civic-minded organizations on campus. Following his college graduation, David participated in two tours in Iraq and he died while deployed to South Korea in 2012. His obituary reads, “Capt. Haas was a good Officer and Commander who put the completion of the Mission and the welfare of his troops at the top of his list of priorities. David loved public service and was planning to become a high school counselor or teacher when his military career was completed.”

A life - and a future - cut too short, and one defined by service.

With their sacrifice, our loved ones entrust us with the caretaking of our democracy. It is not a task or responsibility we can undertake lightly as we remember them. As we gather today, we are approaching the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6th , a day when 156,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, confronting almost-certain death. We remember their sacrifice and that of our loved ones, we grieve their loss, and we recommit to nurturing, engaging in, and protecting our democracy - with all of its simultaneous strength, fragility, complexity, and beauty.