05/25/2026
When I served in Iraq, my company lost 5 soldiers β five brothers and sisters who gave everything. I carry them with me every single day, and I promise you this: as long as I draw breath, the world will know their names and their sacrifice.
Ivory Phipps, Chicago IL
Jeremy Ridlen, Maroa, IL
Shawna Morrison, Paris, IL
Charles Lamb, Casey, IL
Jessica Cawvey, Mahomet IL.
This year, I'm deeply honored to have been asked to speak at the Daughters of the American Revolution β a privilege I do not take lightly.
To everyone celebrating tomorrow β fire up the grill, laugh with your family, and soak up every bit of the freedom you enjoy (I plan to as well).
Remember that freedom was not free. It was purchased with the blood of men and women who never made it home. So while you celebrate, please take a moment and say a small prayer for the parents, the spouses, and the children of our fallen. They carry a weight the rest of us can only begin to imagine.
Honor them. Remember them. Never forget.