Memorial Day address by Assemblyman Brian Bergen

For those who don’t know me I am Brian Bergen. I am a West Point Graduate, Combat Veteran, Former Apache helicopter Pilot in the US Army and your representative in the New Jersey State Assembly.

Thank you all so very much for inviting me to be with you today. I can’t begin to tell you how honored I am to be given this special moment on this special weekend with you. I can tell you honestly, I don’t feel worthy of the opportunity.

I remember like it was yesterday. My friend Joe and I were sitting in a hotel room on the eve of our deployment to Iraq. Our last night before a journey that would alter our lives forever. Right before we headed into our rooms, Joe turned to me and said, “You know Bri, 1 in 75 of us will die”. Thirteen days later, Joe was dead.

Joe was a great man. Better than me in every way. I am convinced, beyond a doubt, that he died happy to sacrifice himself to allow me to live.

You see, war is inevitable. There has always been war and there always will be. Men and Women will need to give their lives in order for good to prevail. Every single person who has died before and every person who will in the future, is doing so, so that we, all of us here and our future generations can live.

Today I remember all of my fallen West Point Classmates, David Bernstein, John Hallett, Andrew Houghton, KJ Smith, Joe Lusk and Andrew Pearson. I remember Keith Marriotti and Steve Shepard who died in service with me in Iraq. I think of all of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Memorial Day has a special meaning to me. I don’t see it as a time to celebrate their sacrifice or to honor those who died. I see it as a time to remember how lucky I am to live, and how I owe it to Joe and everyone else who traded their life for mine to be more, to do more and to live a life worthy of their sacrifice.

I see Memorial Day as a time for us demand more from ourselves. To commit to volunteering more in our community, to giving more to charity, to simply being a better person.

It’s a time for us to take inventory of our personal sacrifices and add to the list.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask that for this Memorial Day and all those to come, that you join me in self-reflection, and use the day and time to motivate yourselves to do a little bit more. To be a little bit better. To repay the sacrifices of these brave men and women through actions.

As you spend time with Friends and Family this weekend, remember those sacrifices made by others and let it be the force that propels you forward. That motivates you every single day. Let it be your guiding light. Be more. Do more. In honor of them.

Thank you for allowing me to be with you today. I’ll never forget the opportunity and I am eternally grateful. God Bless You and God Bless America.