1 00:00:00,140 --> 00:00:02,307 Good evening . Good evening everyone . 2 00:00:02,307 --> 00:00:04,418 It is indeed an honor to be here with 3 00:00:04,418 --> 00:00:08,370 you all and Bonnie . Thanks for to you 4 00:00:08,370 --> 00:00:11,350 and the entire taps team for your 5 00:00:11,350 --> 00:00:13,572 thoughtful and compassionate leadership 6 00:00:13,572 --> 00:00:16,290 and also thanks buddy for that very 7 00:00:16,290 --> 00:00:18,346 generous introduction . I guess if I 8 00:00:18,346 --> 00:00:20,568 were a wise man , I would say thanks to 9 00:00:20,568 --> 00:00:22,734 everybody and sit down so I don't undo 10 00:00:22,734 --> 00:00:26,540 what you did . But it is great to be 11 00:00:26,540 --> 00:00:30,030 here Last year . This organization 12 00:00:30,030 --> 00:00:33,710 connected with more than 9000 newly 13 00:00:33,710 --> 00:00:37,150 bereaved family members to 14 00:00:37,150 --> 00:00:40,220 listen and to help on some of the worst 15 00:00:40,220 --> 00:00:42,460 days that anyone can go through . 16 00:00:44,740 --> 00:00:47,180 You've taken families to ball games so 17 00:00:47,180 --> 00:00:50,980 that they can meet one another . You've 18 00:00:50,980 --> 00:00:53,210 helped thousands with your training 19 00:00:53,210 --> 00:00:56,730 programs on grief , trauma and 20 00:00:56,730 --> 00:01:00,400 suicide prevention . You've provided 21 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,360 space to support Children and teenagers 22 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,910 going through unbearable loss 23 00:01:08,740 --> 00:01:12,640 and you've given people new hope in a 24 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,160 strong community that they can rely on . 25 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,370 You know , every day caps is making a 26 00:01:21,370 --> 00:01:24,460 difference in our military community . 27 00:01:26,140 --> 00:01:29,660 It's moving , it's important 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:32,850 and it is inspiring . 29 00:01:34,140 --> 00:01:37,830 So thank you for all of your hard 30 00:01:37,830 --> 00:01:41,430 work and Charlene and I are 31 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,551 honored to be here with you tonight . 32 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,770 We all surviving family members 33 00:01:48,780 --> 00:01:52,640 are unwavering support and I 34 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,260 appreciate the chance to spend part of 35 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,760 of the memorial Day weekend with you 36 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,190 on memorial day . The nation pauses 37 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,090 with you to remember the devotion to 38 00:02:06,090 --> 00:02:07,960 service of your loved ones , 39 00:02:09,740 --> 00:02:13,600 to renew our commitment to be worthy of 40 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,450 their sacrifice and to remind the 41 00:02:17,450 --> 00:02:19,820 families of our fallen heroes 42 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,340 that you are not alone and 43 00:02:25,340 --> 00:02:28,150 this year I am especially mindful that 44 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,330 we're observing the first memorial day 45 00:02:31,330 --> 00:02:34,050 since the end of America's longest war . 46 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,100 And we remember the 2461 47 00:02:40,110 --> 00:02:43,350 American service members and personnel 48 00:02:44,140 --> 00:02:46,550 who fell in Afghanistan serving their 49 00:02:46,550 --> 00:02:47,050 country 50 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,410 for surviving family members . We know 51 00:02:53,410 --> 00:02:55,910 that grief is with you every day and 52 00:02:55,910 --> 00:02:57,660 not just on memorial day 53 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,560 and we know that after losing a loved 54 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,480 one , it can feel like time grinds to a 55 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,260 halt . This past 56 00:03:09,260 --> 00:03:13,000 week , Time stood still for the 57 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,050 entire community of Yuval de texas 58 00:03:18,140 --> 00:03:20,084 And our hearts break again for the 59 00:03:20,084 --> 00:03:22,390 senseless murder of 19 innocent 60 00:03:22,390 --> 00:03:24,334 Children and two of their selfless 61 00:03:24,334 --> 00:03:27,900 teachers . It's a 62 00:03:27,900 --> 00:03:29,733 terrible moment for our nation . 63 00:03:31,940 --> 00:03:35,320 It is yet another terrible moment for 64 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:36,320 our nation . 65 00:03:39,740 --> 00:03:43,610 But even during the 66 00:03:43,610 --> 00:03:47,520 most awful times , this organization is 67 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,840 there and I know that you've been part 68 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:52,840 of the effort to help the people of 69 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,660 Vivaldi in their season of grief 70 00:03:57,140 --> 00:03:59,196 and I want to thank you for being by 71 00:03:59,196 --> 00:04:03,180 their sides . But you know , that's 72 00:04:03,180 --> 00:04:05,060 who this community is . 73 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:09,618 You know , we have the greatest 74 00:04:09,618 --> 00:04:11,896 military that the world has ever known . 75 00:04:12,340 --> 00:04:14,173 But it's not just because of our 76 00:04:14,173 --> 00:04:16,360 advanced weapons , are airplanes or 77 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,650 tanks . It's because of our people , 78 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,662 the men and women who raise their hands 79 00:04:23,662 --> 00:04:24,662 to serve 80 00:04:32,740 --> 00:04:34,962 and the families and the loved ones who 81 00:04:34,962 --> 00:04:38,320 make their service possible . And it's 82 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,960 because of the values of democracy 83 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:44,707 that they make success . Such 84 00:04:44,707 --> 00:04:48,030 sacrifices to defend . You know , we 85 00:04:48,030 --> 00:04:50,970 can never take that for granted . We 86 00:04:50,970 --> 00:04:53,350 must never take that for granted 87 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,496 the president and the first lady and 88 00:04:57,496 --> 00:04:59,860 the Department of Defense have made 89 00:04:59,860 --> 00:05:02,440 supporting military families a sacred 90 00:05:02,450 --> 00:05:05,660 obligation . This is a national 91 00:05:05,660 --> 00:05:08,620 commitment and it's on all of us . 92 00:05:09,540 --> 00:05:11,596 And that means working alongside our 93 00:05:11,596 --> 00:05:15,260 friends at the V . A . That means 94 00:05:15,260 --> 00:05:16,982 working with lawmakers here in 95 00:05:16,982 --> 00:05:19,210 Washington and in state and local 96 00:05:19,210 --> 00:05:23,150 governments and that means 97 00:05:23,150 --> 00:05:25,160 being good partners with community 98 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,840 organizations , big and small . It also 99 00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:31,850 means redoubling our efforts to reduce 100 00:05:32,340 --> 00:05:34,940 the stigma is on getting help to lower 101 00:05:34,940 --> 00:05:37,520 the barriers and increase the access to 102 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,760 mental health care to continue our 103 00:05:40,770 --> 00:05:43,360 critically important work to prevent 104 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,040 suicide within our military community 105 00:05:46,050 --> 00:05:48,930 and our veteran family . And you've 106 00:05:48,930 --> 00:05:52,140 heard me say this before and I intend 107 00:05:52,140 --> 00:05:55,860 to keep on saying it . Mental health is 108 00:05:55,860 --> 00:05:59,520 health period . We 109 00:06:01,340 --> 00:06:02,340 yeah , 110 00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:10,896 we've got to tackle the pressures at 111 00:06:10,896 --> 00:06:13,330 all of our people face and we've got to 112 00:06:13,330 --> 00:06:15,560 make sure that we're doing everything 113 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,710 we can to support those who have lost 114 00:06:19,710 --> 00:06:22,730 loved ones and we've got to do more to 115 00:06:22,730 --> 00:06:25,210 help our newly bereaved families on 116 00:06:25,210 --> 00:06:28,350 every level from finding comfort 117 00:06:29,140 --> 00:06:32,610 to figuring out benefits and we know 118 00:06:32,620 --> 00:06:36,590 how heavy that load can be . We 119 00:06:36,590 --> 00:06:38,940 also have to find more ways to stand 120 00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:42,690 together and do whatever we can to 121 00:06:42,690 --> 00:06:45,350 make the load even a bit lighter . 122 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:50,950 This is personal for me and it was 123 00:06:50,950 --> 00:06:53,117 personal for me throughout my years in 124 00:06:53,117 --> 00:06:57,070 uniform , these are 125 00:06:57,070 --> 00:06:59,560 the moments that we pray never come . 126 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:04,820 You know one father in the taps 127 00:07:04,820 --> 00:07:08,180 community said that his grief Was like 128 00:07:08,190 --> 00:07:10,850 waves crashing down one after another . 129 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,160 But as those waves of loss keep coming . 130 00:07:17,340 --> 00:07:19,760 This community does something special 131 00:07:21,540 --> 00:07:23,060 you show up 132 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:27,290 and for taps that means survive 133 00:07:27,300 --> 00:07:29,189 survivors , being there for other 134 00:07:29,189 --> 00:07:32,950 survivors . It means being there when a 135 00:07:32,950 --> 00:07:36,170 newly bereaved spouse needs to make 136 00:07:36,170 --> 00:07:39,070 sense of the paperwork to keep their 137 00:07:39,070 --> 00:07:42,780 family afloat . It means being there 138 00:07:42,780 --> 00:07:44,947 when a high school senior who's lost , 139 00:07:44,947 --> 00:07:47,510 a parent needs help applying in the 140 00:07:47,510 --> 00:07:51,090 college , it means 141 00:07:51,330 --> 00:07:54,060 being there for the people of you baldy 142 00:07:55,740 --> 00:07:57,940 and wherever americans endure 143 00:07:57,950 --> 00:07:59,460 unspeakable pain 144 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,040 and it means being there to connect 145 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,662 those who are grieving with one another 146 00:08:07,940 --> 00:08:09,884 and knit the bonds of our military 147 00:08:09,884 --> 00:08:11,718 community even closer together . 148 00:08:14,740 --> 00:08:17,540 Now that bereaved father who I 149 00:08:17,540 --> 00:08:21,250 mentioned a few moments ago , he 150 00:08:21,250 --> 00:08:24,230 still feels those waves of relentless 151 00:08:24,230 --> 00:08:28,210 grief but this organization 152 00:08:28,220 --> 00:08:30,387 and the community around him have been 153 00:08:30,387 --> 00:08:33,850 there to help and as he put it 154 00:08:35,140 --> 00:08:38,360 okay , I can't stop the waves 155 00:08:39,140 --> 00:08:42,660 but I can learn how to ride them right . 156 00:08:49,140 --> 00:08:52,060 Mhm So as secretary of defense , 157 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,960 as a veteran and as an american , 158 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,730 I want to thank you all for looking 159 00:08:59,730 --> 00:09:03,710 after one another . May we continue 160 00:09:03,710 --> 00:09:06,450 to honor those who you have lost 161 00:09:08,140 --> 00:09:10,820 and always strive to act in ways that 162 00:09:10,820 --> 00:09:13,710 live up to their goodness and their 163 00:09:13,710 --> 00:09:14,560 sacrifice . 164 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,650 God bless you all , God bless the 165 00:09:21,650 --> 00:09:25,530 United States of America and God bless 166 00:09:25,940 --> 00:09:28,680 all those who have fallen in defense of 167 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:30,460 our country . Thank you very much .