The Office of Veterans Services and the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs held their annual observance of Memorial Day at Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle.
The ceremony honors Delaware service members who died while serving the country in one of the U.S. Armed Forces branches.
Gov. John Carney was among the speakers at Tuesday morning’s ceremony.
"And for me that means remembering those who sacrificed their lives and the families and friends that they left behind, and importantly, it means telling their individual stories,” said Carney. “It's also important of course, and we have already, that we show our appreciation for those who have served, our veterans, and those who are serving today."
Prior to the ceremony Carney notes he joined President Joe Biden as the President placed a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance which has the names of close to 15,000 troops from Delaware and New Jersey who lost their lives in World War II and the Korean War.
Sen. Chris Coons was also among the speakers.
"All serve in some way. We are all here to remember and thank someone who we know. Someone who our state knew, someone who our city or nation knew, but we make it different, we make it more powerful, we make it more lasting, when we make it personal," said Coons.
Coons singled out his colleague, Sen Tom Carper, a Vietnam Veteran, and lauded Carper’s ability to make remembrances like this personal.
Coons and Carper’s colleague in Washington, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester says it’s important to remember what Memorial Day is really about.
"This holiday is not about parades. It's not about barbecues and sales. It is really about remembering those who gave their lives for our country," said Blunt Rochester.
Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long was also among the speakers at the event which featured State Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Wilmington City Councilman Al Mills – who are also twin brothers and Delaware’s Poets Laureate – recite a poem as keynote speakers.
