Trump Honors Fallen Soldiers, Directly Thanks Gold Star Families Attending Memorial Day Speech

Forbes Breaking News

In his Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, President Trump remembered the sacrifices of fallen soldiers and thanked Gold Star families.

Transcript

00:00With each passing year, the greatest monument to their courage is not carved in marble or cast in

00:06bronze. It's all around us, an American nation, 325 million strong, which will soon be greater

00:16than it has ever been before. It will be. And so today we uphold the memory of our heroes as

00:25people have done since ancient times by telling their stories and exalting their names.

00:32Senior Master Sergeant Elroy Harworth was a young, beautiful man from Earhart, Minnesota,

00:40when he enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to Vietnam. 59 years ago this very week, Elroy and

00:50his crewmates climbed into the dark skies over Da Nang on a classified mission known as

00:57Operation Carolina Moon. Their aim was to blow up a key enemy bridge. And while other crews had tried

01:06and failed, they were determined to try and get it done in the face of extreme danger. And they knew

01:12how bad it was. As their C-130 closed in on its target and Elroy jockeyed his 5,000 pounds of

01:21explosives into position, the aircraft came under unbelievably intense fire. They'd never seen

01:29anything like it. Try as they might, they were hit as the plane swung low and they went down deep in

01:37enemy territory. Elroy was just 24 years old when he gave his life for America, leaving behind a

01:44beautiful young wife who was seven months pregnant. That meant Elroy would never know the joy of meeting

01:52his son, Troy, or seeing him grow. And he would never have the pride to watch his son follow in his

02:00father's footsteps and serve two decades in the U.S. Army. Sergeant First Class Troy Harworth is with us

02:10today, joined by his wife, Sonya, and their son, John. The grandson, Elroy, never got to hold. Thank

02:18you, Troy. And thank you, John. And above all, thank you, Elroy. Thank you very much. Please stand up. Thank you.

02:26Whoever you may be. Thank you very much. Great family. Corporal Ryan McGee of Fredericksburg, Virginia,

02:44knew from the time he saw the towers fall on 9-11 that he wanted to be an Army Ranger. He was an American

02:52guy, all American. He was a tough guy. He was the top of everything. In high school, he was captain of

03:00the football team and was voted friendliest and most charming by his peers. Ryan joined the Army soon

03:07after graduation, and after three tours in Afghanistan, he deployed to Iraq. He and his unit were tasked with

03:15hunting down a weapon facilitator and a suicide bomber cell near Baghdad, a vicious, vicious cell,

03:24killing many, many people. Sixteen years ago this month, they engaged the enemy in a firefight,

03:31and Ryan was mortally wounded. He gave his life at 21 years old, and today he rests until the end of time

03:38in the famed Section 60 here at Arlington, where we have buried our honored dead from the war on terror.

03:47We are joined today by Ryan's mom, Sherry. Sherry, all of America shares in your grief, and more

03:54importantly, we share in your pride in your wonderful son. And thank you so much for being here, Sherry.

04:00Thank you, Sherry. Thank you very much on behalf of everyone. This crowd is so big, she's hard to find.

04:22Once I saw her, she really stands out. Thank you, Sherry, very much. Senior Chief Petty Officer

04:28Shannon Kent grew up in Pine Plains, New York, before enlisting in the Navy in 2003,

04:36and she quickly became one of the rising stars. She was an absolute winner. As a linguist, translator,

04:43and cryptologic technician, Shannon worked alongside elite special force units like Delta Force and Navy

04:53SEALs to help them capture and kill terrorists. She was among the first women ever to do it,

04:59and she did it better than anyone. In January 2019, Shannon was on her fifth combat deployment,

05:07embedded with a team hunting ISIS terrorists through the streets of Syria, when a suicide bomber

05:14detonated his weapon-killing senior chief Kent and three other wonderful, beautiful Americans.

05:23She left behind her husband, Joe, and their two sons, three-year-old Colt and 18-month-old baby Josh.

05:32Today, Shannon rests in peace on these grounds alongside her comrades. To her boys, Colt and Josh,

05:39who are here this morning, now age nine and seven, let me say your mom was a hero,

05:46and her love, her strength, and her spirit are always with us and always be with you. She loved

05:52her boys. To Joe, the boys, Shannon's parents, Mary and Stephen, and her sister, Mariah, Shannon's name

06:02will live forever in the chronicles of true American patriots. I just want to thank you, and thank you so

06:09much for being here in honor of your magnificent family member. Stories like Shannon's, Ryan's, and Elroy's

06:17remind us of the real meaning of the day. And I want to just say, please stand up wherever you may be.

06:22The boys, I want to see those boys. Where are you?

06:26The boys, I want to see those boys.

06:56They're good-looking guys. Thank you very much for being here. All of you, thank you so much.

07:12We should never forget, even for a moment, that freedom is a gift of the highest cost,

07:16and peace is won at the most precious price. These extraordinary American heroes and their

07:22immense and ultimate sacrifices they offer. Only the faintest glimpse at the infinite grace we

07:31have received from all who lay down their lives for America.

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