COLUMBUS, Ohio — The governor and first lady held their annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony Thursday at the Veterans Plaza at the statehouse, where they honored fallen Ohio service members ahead of Memorial Day.
“There is a powerful message in the expression, ‘freedom is not free.’ The families of the fallen – our Gold Star families – understand this on a level the rest of us can only imagine,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a press release. “The Ohio military men and women whom we remember and celebrate at this event were sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. They believed in freedom, took an oath to defend it, and gave their lives doing just that. We owe them a debt we can never repay.”
Army Sgt. Joseph P. Collette of Lancaster was recognized by DeWine during the ceremony. He died at 29 while serving in Afghanistan as he was attempting to save another soldier. His mother, Theresa Mecionis, spoke at the event.
“It has been five years since he was killed in action in Afghanistan while protecting his unit,” Mecionis said in the release. “I recently heard the saying, ‘grief is love that has nowhere to go.’ I think that’s why sometimes we feel so lost. In honor of Memorial Day, let’s reach out for help, check on each other, share feelings, tell stories. Let’s honor the fallen and thank and reach out to the living.”
There were other Gold Star families present who were also honored at the ceremony.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Honor Guard offered a rifle salute, and an Ohio Army National Guard Band bugler played “Taps.” Additionally, the Ohio Air Force Reserve 445th Airlift Wing performed a flyover.
“It is important on Memorial Day that we take time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and to recognize the sacrifices of their families. I’m grateful that the governor holds this ceremony every year to ensure that we never forget,” said Maj. Gen. (U.S. Army, retired) Deborah Ashenhurst, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, in the release.
Ohio Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John Harris Jr. said Memorial Day should serve as a reminder of the price paid for our freedoms.
“We must never forget the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great nation, and we honor the family members they left behind,” Harris said in the release.
