WASHINGTON – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Don Fowler, a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and co-chair of the Veterans and Military Families Council of the DNC, issued the following statements on Memorial Day:
 
“Each year, we celebrate Memorial Day to honor the memories of those who have given their lives in service to our country. Those brave Americans, who answered the call to serve with honor and pride, were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that we could prosper under the freedoms that define our great nation. We also take time on Memorial Day to remember and pray for the families, friends and loved ones of those who died. But our gratitude, thoughts and prayers will never be enough. We must recommit ourselves every day to honoring the memories of those lost by working together to ensure their brothers and sisters in arms receive the care they deserve. We must support and fight for our veterans every day to make sure they have access to health care, education, job training and every opportunity to succeed. It is absolutely critical that our next commander in chief respects and honors their service and the sacrifices they and their families make.” —DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz
 
“The patriotic sacrifice of the men and women who died while serving the United States in our armed forces must never be forgotten. In each armed conflict since our founding, courageous Americans of every background and religion, from every corner of our country, have answered the call to serve. They have stood unwavering in the face of violence and conflict, not only to defend their own families and homes, but to fight for freedom against oppressive forces across the globe. And each time they are called to serve, they have shown what is possible when Americans put politics aside and stand together with a common purpose. This Memorial Day, as we remember the ultimate sacrifice of those who were killed in service to our highest ideals, we must vow to serve our veterans in return. Our nation has made great strides for veterans and their families. The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has helped veterans to attain a college degree and we have continued further investments in veterans’ job training. But we have much more work to do. We will continue to fight for speedy access to quality healthcare for our veterans, including mental healthcare, and we will fight to end veterans’ homelessness.” —Don Fowler, a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and co-chair of the Veterans and Military Families Council of the DNC