Representative Jon Hinck (D- Portland) shared the following thoughts on Memorial Day. Hinck is a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
“On this Memorial Day we honor our heroes, the brave men and women who answer our Nation’s call. We are indebted to them for their service and their sacrifices.
Today, I remember my late father, who in June 1944 landed with the 358th Infantry on Utah beach in Normandy and moved into Occupied France fighting Nazi soldiers. When I was growing up, I learned of the time when he was shot while leading a patrol into an eerily deserted village near the banks the Moselle River. My father took the nearly fatal fire on his 24th birthday in November of 1944.
He carried the shrapnel with him for the rest of his life, along with the scars and wrenching memories. He rarely spoke of what he saw and he did not invite recognition. As with so many of our parents and grandparents, sons and daughters, service in a time of war defined who my father was. As a result, it still defines who we are as Americans. My Dad passed on nearly two decades ago but remains a hero to me today.”