We pay tribute to them with our enduring gratitude and respect, never forgetting the sacrifice they made to protect the rights and freedoms we hold so dear.

We honor them with our commitment to respecting and caring for the veterans who are still with us, their brothers and sisters in arms.

In honor of our fallen heroes, I have ordered that flags be flown at half staff on all state buildings and grounds throughout California.

I also invite all Californians to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m.

on Memorial Day, a shared moment of silence, recognizing the servicemen and women who put their country before all else.

Now, therefore, I, Gavin Newsom, the governor of the state of California, do hereby proclaim May 26, 2025 as Memorial Day.

Thank you.

Thank you for that recognition.

And now for our keynote address.

As mayor, you get to put this together, and so I reached out to a good friend of mine who has served us well in Iraq and before that in Bosnia.

And asked him who can who can we invite today?

And he came up with a great one.

Joe Tringe served in active duty U.S.

Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 25 years.

Over his career, he's been assigned to the Air Force Research Lab, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Space and Missile System Center, Space Launch, Delta 30, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.

He's also taught at the National Defense University, and he currently serves as a reservist in the office of Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology, and Engineering at the Pentagon.

As a civilian, Joe has had a 21-year career with the Lawrence Livermore National Lab as a technical leader where he continues to guide appliance science and technology programs for defense and other applications.

Joe lives here in Lafayette with his wife of 23 years and their two children.

I want you to help him welcome Joe to the stage.

Thank you for your kind introduction, Mayor, and for including me in this important ceremony.

I didn't ask why my friend and fellow veteran recommended me to speak today, but I think it's perhaps because I've been around for so long wearing this uniform.

He knew from his own experience that when you serve in uniform and incapacity, you run into your share of heroes, and regularly find yourself thinking about those who have made sacrifices.

So I'll do my best today to honor them with some appropriate words.

Today I'm particularly honored to share the stage with one such hero, Jake Larson.

A veteran of D-Day and other pitched battles in Europe during World War II.

He is certainly more qualified than I am to speak on the subject of sacrifice.

I won't attempt to speak about his experiences, but I recommend today after the ceremony that you look him up on social media.

His life story is truly amazing and inspiring.

In reading about Papa Jay, because I understand he is known online, I learned that he attended and was honored at the 75th and 80th anniversaries of D-Day in Normandy, France.

I was actually attending present at these events as well, although I regret I was not able to see him and honor him there in person.

In 2019, I took my older child to Normandy Beaches for the 75th anniversary, and last year I visited with my younger child for the 80th.

I think it's important for us to recognize and remember dates such as these, which is why I made the effort to go and share these experiences with my children.

This is, of course, is why we are here together today.

As Mayor Darling noted, Memorial Day was created after our nation's most costly conflict, the Civil War.

The May observation date was chosen actually because this is the time of year when flowers bloom throughout our country.

And it was thought to be fitting to recall the memories of the fallen with these gifts from nature.

Today, surrounded as we are with such gifts, I'll briefly recall the memories of three individuals with whom all of us here today share some connection, either in time or space.

Actually, only one of the three was wearing a military uniform at his time of death.

However, in the next few minutes, I believe you'll understand why I've chosen him specifically today.

First, I'll recall the memory of Jonas Parker.

Jonas was 53, the same age I am now when he was killed at the Battle of Lexington 250 years ago exactly, just this last April 19th, 1775.

I happened to be in Lexington, Massachusetts with my daughter this March, about a month before that anniversary.

We walked on the Battle Green on a rainwashed, chilly afternoon and saw the place where he fell.

Jonas Parker was not wearing a uniform on April 19th, 1775, because the United States military had not yet been created.

In fact, of course, the United States themselves have not yet been created.

Before the battle, Jonas was known around Lexington for his strength, and he was an excellent wrestler.

He was also a woodworker.

He owned cows and pigs and farmed 12 acres of land for a living.

He left behind his wife and ten children.

Next, I'll recall the memory of U.S.

Army Corporal Sean Langavin, a native of Walnut Creek, and 2020 graduate of Ignatio Valley High School, just down the road from here.

His name is in your programs.

He was 23 when he was killed in Afghanistan in an ambush on November 9th, 2007, where he was serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Corporal Langevin loved adventure and outdoor activities, whether it was snowboarding, skating, bungee jumping, or even skydiving.

Growing up, he channeled his great energy into scouting.

We have some scouts today with us here, and he achieved its highest honor as an Eagle Scout.

He left behind a wife and daughter who was born three months after he was killed in Afghanistan.

Finally, today I'll recall the memory of California Highway Patrol Officer Kenyon Youngstrom, killed after being shot by a motorist following a routine traffic stop on September 4th, 2012 on Highway 680, place you can almost see from here, or you could weren't buildings.

Officer Youngstrom's name may be familiar to you because you lived during that time, or because Highway 680 24, the interchange, has been named in his honor, and it's marked that way on every entrance.

One of three triplets, Officer Youngstrom was known for his positive outlook on any problem and his willingness to help others.