Ahead of Memorial Day, Senator Lankford Honors US Military & Their Families

CLICK HERE to watch Lankford’s remarks on the Senate floor.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) recognized the sacrifices of the US Armed Forces and their families on the Senate floor ahead of Memorial Day. Last weekend, Lankford attended the funeral of fallen Oklahoma hero, TSgt. Marshal Roberts, who tragically lost his life in an overnight rocket attack in Iraq on March 11, 2020. Lankford previously gave an emotional tribute to TSgt. Roberts on the Senate floor.

Transcript

In the days ahead, we will celebrate Decoration Day. Decoration Day was first declared locally in 1866 after the Civil War. It was a day to remember those who gave their lives in battle for our country by decorating the graves and remembering their sacrifice. Now we call it Memorial Day.

We remember all those who have given their lives for our nation. It’s unfortunately not those who just gave their lives long past. Unfortunately, it’s still in the painful present. Last weekend I sat in an agonizing funeral for Tech Sergeant Marshal Roberts, who was killed by rocket fire just two and a half months ago. He was in the process of getting others to safety when a rocket took his life. He is the first Oklahoma Air Guardsman to ever lose his life in battle, and this Memorial Day will be very different for his wife, his daughter, their family, and the state of Oklahoma because it’s not just a day about sleeping in and sales on dishwashers and cars. It will evoke the memory of Tech Sergeant Marshal Roberts and hundreds of thousands of others like him. They gave their everything for the sake of our liberty. Those men and women are not forgotten. They are our heroes. And this Memorial Day, we will remember.

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