Washington, DC — Congresswoman Aumua Amata took part in the 70th Mayor’s Memorial Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, which included numerous military and government dignitaries, a military fly over, and a keynote speech by Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John M. Richardson.

“On Memorial Day, the nation pauses to honor our fallen heroes, all those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom throughout the entire history of the United States of America,” said Aumua Amata. “Of the 48 million Americans who have served in the Armed Forces since 1776, Memorial Day is the special holiday reserved specifically for those who sacrificed their lives so that we could enjoy the benefits of freedom today. May we cherish the memories of these patriots. Their legacy is honored by the tradition of service developed by American Samoa in recent generations.”

Over 40 different military organizations presented wreaths at the memorial, and 38,000 lei were made and placed on gravesites in honor of the country’s service members. The National Cemetery site is known as the Punchbowl, located at Punchbowl Crater, Honolulu.

“Thank you for the honor of speaking on Memorial Day, a day dedicated to those who have served our nation so that we can live, work, and worship freely,” said Admiral Richardson in his speech. “We honor these heroes who have fought and died in every major conflict during our country’s 243-year history.”

Congresswoman Amata with Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John M. Richardson, keynote speaker at the ceremony. [photo: courtesy]