I’d like to personally thank all of you for attending today’s Sgt. Patrick Stewart Freedom for All Faiths Memorial Service. It’s been a very long, very hard 8 months. Your support means a lot to my family, and to me.
Thanks to Patrick's comrades, others in the US military, and veterans for your support.
To the city of Fernley for the use of this park and to Sheriff Brett Palmer for his help in obtaining this park for this service.
Thanks to the Democratic Party for the use of the Sound System.
Thanks to elected officials, candidates, and members of the Republican Party and Democratic Party for on-going help in the quest for equal rights.
Thanks to the media for getting the word out about this event and situation.
Thanks to our speakers today: Chaplain Chrystal, Rev. Selena Fox, Theresa Peacock,John Emerson, Richard Disney, and Dawn Gibbons.
A sincere thanks to Kellies for the beautiful wreaths.
And thanks to my family and friends for your love and support in my quest.
No one who has a loved one serving in the military wants to be the one waiting for that knock on the door or that phone call. No one wants to be the one standing up here talking about their dead family member. No wife nor mother nor loved one ever really believes that they will have to. These are things that happen to someone else.
But death is the inevitable product of war; and those of us who are left behind have a duty and an obligation to carry on. Sometimes that means letting go of our own dreams while we take care of unfinished business, or help to realize a dream for someone else. It becomes our mission, our motivation for getting out of bed in the morning. Today, I am that "someone else."
It’s easy to feel pride and humility for our heroes, so long as they are distant from us. The word hero has a different meaning to me now than it once did. Today I stand before you, on a day that has been set aside to represent the epitome of what our country stands for Freedom. And I ask you to help me remember that all freedoms are worth fighting for; I ask that you will continue to help me secure the same freedoms for Patrick that other servicemen and women are so easily permitted and that along with me you will accept that the holes left in our hearts from the losses of war are not intended to heal, we must simply grow bigger hearts around them
My husband, Patrick Stewart grew up in the Reno area. He graduated from Wooster High School , and joined the Army shortly there after, serving in Korea and Desert Storm, in 2002 he enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard and in 2005 he was called to duty for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He was part of Mustang 22 and Task Force Storm.
In life, Patrick was my heart mate, my bestfriend and my confidant. He was a compelling and passionate man, a brave person who stood tall and proud. He was strong in his convictions and he loved his country. My husband also loved Freedom; the world was his sanctuary, he loved the Freedom of the great outdoors -- of the mountains and the wide open skies, and he loved the Freedom that is the foundation of America. Last year, on September 25th, Patrick was killed in action when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. He died for Freedom.
Today we have gathered to honor Patrick’s life, his service and the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country. Today we have honored his memory and Freedom for All Faiths in the manner that he would have wanted. Today we have gathered to carry that memory into the future so as to be a voice on behalf of those who can no longer speak for themselves.
In the spirit of these things, we call to the US Department of Veterans Affairs to end its discrimination and be accountable for upholding the Freedoms of Religion and Freedoms of Speech that have been granted to us as inalienable rights by the United States Constitution granted to ALL of us.
Congress shall make NO law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
I would like to end this service with a moment of silence. During that time, I would ask that you remember. Remember Patrick, and all that he lived and died for. Remember the sacrifice of all our fallen soldiers, remember freedom.
I toll the bell 22 times in honor of Patrick and Mustang 22.
May our coming together today be a celebration of Freedom and a message that will bring about that Freedom.
For my final comment I would ask you all for your continued support in this quest for freedom, and demand our VA stop the discrimination that has been ongoing for close to 9 years.
Thank You.