RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin emphasized the sacrifices of service members who defended freedom during the 2025 Commonwealth's Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
In his 17-minute address, Youngkin spoke directly to families who have lost loved ones in service to the country.
"To the families of the fallen, to those for whom every single day is Memorial Day, we cannot fully share in your sorrow or shoulder the immense sacrifice that you have borne since the loss of your loved one, but we know from scripture that we are called to mourn with those who mourn. And so today, we stand with you. We stand with you to express our collective grief and to show our overwhelming gratitude for all that your loved ones did to defend liberty and to defend freedom," Youngkin said.
The governor called for a renewed commitment to patriotism and the values that the fallen defended.
"These heroes were willing to answer this call to serve and defend the ideas and the ideals that America was founded upon, the unshakable belief that all of God's children are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights, and among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," he said.
Watch the full ceremony
Youngkin emphasized that service members fought to defend not just ideas but a way of life.
"They fought to defend a nation. They fought to defend a way of life, traditions, communities, the fabric of America, neighbors, standing for neighbors, a commitment to pursue a more perfect union that, my friends, is the American spirit, the American spirit that we know is alive and well," Youngkin said.
During his speech, the governor also expressed concern about what he described as "anti-Americanism."
"In recent years, we've unfortunately learned that not everyone in America thinks that this is a story worth celebrating, and in fact, it is more common than we care to admit. Instead of singing our anthem loudly and honoring our flag daily and pledging allegiance boldly. We've seen some people tear Old Glory down and this strain of what I might call anti Americanism has even become fashionable in some places," he said. "Therefore it demands that on this Memorial Day, as we confront the question, can we possibly live up to the sacrifices of those who sacrificed everything for us, we must resolutely and loudly answer yes... on this Memorial Day in 2025 as we honor these heroes, we must recommit ourselves to the values, to the American spirit that they died in order to protect."
Following the ceremony, the inaugural "Say Their Names Marathon" began, during which the names of nearly 12,000 Virginians killed or missing in action will be read over a 12-hour period.
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