Orlando, Fla. — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, with distinguished guests and members of the Mayor’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Council, honored those enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces who ultimately sacrificed their lives while serving their country.
“Let us recall the sacrifice of our service members and renew our promise to fulfill our sacred duty to them and their families who have also sacrificed so much so that we can live free,” Demings said.
For this year’s War Memorial Commemoration Ceremony, Demings was joined in addressing the crowd by retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Green;
“When I started thinking about what I would share, I wanted to stand before you and not just give you facts about how many or where, but to remind people that when we actually give honor to others and remind others about the service that others have had, we have to remember that these are not just service members, these are people,” Green said,
“These are moms, they’re dads, they’re community leaders, they’re religious leaders, they’re blue and white collar workers, they’re first responders, they’re veterans, they’re volunteers.
Not only did they choose to serve, they chose to serve their community on top of that, and sometimes that burden can be very heavy.
So with each survivor, I think they carry the weight of that loss, as we all do, as a nation – so, I ask that we keep the memory strong in the minds, that we keep our hearts, and we reserve to never forget where we’ve been and what we’ve done.”
What would follow were rounds of applause, salutes, and the laying of a wreath in honor of the fallen.
However before this, Green’s final words in his statement to the crowd were powerful.
Quoting famed World War II General George S. Patton:
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
There are almost 70,000 veterans in Orange County. If you know a veteran who is not receiving benefits of any kind, consider referring them to Orange County Veterans Services.
Tommie Maldonado, program manager for Veterans Services, Veterans Service Officer, and 30-year U.S. Army veteran would like to remind our readers,
“If you completed two years of service and received an honorable discharge, you can file for compensation for anything that happened to you while you were in the military.”
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