Don't let the fallen veterans be forgotten
Kim Guadagno is lieutenant governor of New Jersey The month of May marks two things that I share with tens of thousands of American women - our role as mothers and our role as parents of a child serving in the military.
The month of May marks two things that I share with tens of thousands of American women - our role as mothers and our role as parents of a child serving in the military.
As the first lieutenant governor of New Jersey, I have sought to shine a light on America's veterans. It's an opportunity I embrace with passion, honor, and pride - and since I am the parent of a cadet who is to graduate as a second lieutenant from the Air Force Academy this month, it's personal as well.
I have challenged myself and my state to combat the sad realities faced by some of our brave men and women after their military service.
We are aware of the many not-for-profit organizations, state efforts, and national programs that exist to ease reentry for our veterans. But there is one issue that does not get much visibility, and that is when a veteran dies alone. That is the fate of thousands of our veterans. They have sacrificed so much for this country, but many die alone or abandoned. Their ashes often go unclaimed and orphaned, without the proper and respectful burials they deserve and have earned.
I have made it my business to attend such funerals. It is as difficult as anything I do as lieutenant governor - but it is also closest to my heart.
I have attended burials arranged by the New Jersey Mission of Honor, a nonprofit group that identifies abandoned or orphaned cremains of veterans and arranges a proper burial at the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery in South Jersey. This program has interred 158 forgotten veterans and helped to reunite the remains of more than 225 veterans with their families.
Nothing compares with the emotions I feel as the honor guard prepares the veteran's American flag in that classic 13-fold, cocked-hat triangle, white stars on a blue canton. When it is placed in my hands, I embrace it on behalf of a grateful nation, a grateful state, and grateful mothers everywhere.
On Memorial Day this year, let us share a solemn moment for those who do not have someone mourning their loss or have yet to receive a hero's send-off. Regardless of when they served, or where, we benefit from their patriotism and courage. Though I am an elected government official, theirs is the highest form of public service I can imagine.
Kim Guadagno is lieutenant governor of New Jersey