City of Portage honors fallen veterans with Memorial Day service

The city of Portage honored the nation’s fallen veterans this Memorial Day with a service at Founders Square attended by U.S. Reps. Frank Mrvan and Mark Takano, amongst others.

A large crowd attended the event co-hosted by the American Legion Post 260, a nonprofit organization of U.S. war veterans. In addition to speeches by the congressmen, Portage Mayor Sue Lynch, State Rep. Chuck Moseley and Fire Chief Randy Wilkening also honored the nation’s veterans in their remarks.

After the posting of the colors by the Portage High School JROTC and a performance by the Portage High School chorus, Post 260 Ladies Auxiliary President Bernadette Esparza delivered the first speech.

“Memorial Day should be a day of tribute,” she said. “We must all remember the cost of human lives to preserve our freedom.”

“But Memorial Day is not only about remembering the men and women who made that supreme sacrifice while defending the American way, it is about acknowledging and protecting the ideals they died for so our sacrifice shall not be in vain.”

Lynch spoke briefly, honoring some veterans in attendance including a World War II veteran who fought at the Battle of the Bulge. She said Memorial Day was about honoring those who “gave up all their tomorrows for our todays.”

Many in attendance had similar sentiments about the holiday.

Wayne Freeman is a Portage resident and a Vietnam War veteran. He attended the event with some of his fellow service members.

“Today is about honoring all the fallen comrades and the ones still out there fighting to keep us and this country going,” he said.

State Rep. Moseley, D-Portage, serves on the Veteran’s Affairs Committee and said he was glad to see so many young people at the service so they could learn what Memorial Day is all about. He stressed that while Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, we should strive to remember our veterans every day.

“A great way to try to remember this day and every day for them is to remember their brothers and sisters who made it home,” Moseley said.

Moseley said part of his job on the Veterans Affairs Committee was ensuring that veterans have what they need to become civilians again, such as access to health care and good jobs. He closed with a quote from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

“During that speech (Lincoln) said that, ‘We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.’ Your being here today solidifies the promise that Abraham Lincoln made that day in that cemetery in Gettysburg.”

U.S. Rep. Mrvan, D-Highland, who serves as the representative of Indiana’s first district and is a member of the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs, also emphasized the importance of getting veterans the benefits they were promised, such as access to physical and mental health care.

“Today is a day of remembrance and honor,” Mrvan said. “Very often it does get confused with a day of sales or a barbecue, but today we’re here to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

U.S. Rep. Takano was visiting from California. He is a ranking member on the House Committee for Veteran’s Affairs and was praised by Mrvan for his work in passing the PACT Act in 2022, which was the largest VA benefits expansion in decades, granting benefits to over 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans.

Takano honored women veterans in his opening remarks, noting that women are the fastest growing demographic to serve in the military. He said one of his goals was to make sure women veterans receive health care that is just as good as their male counterparts. He also highlighted the sacrifices of veterans from minority backgrounds whom he said loved their country even when it didn’t love them back.

“Serving our veterans is not about red or blue,” Takano said. “It is about the red, white and blue.”

Takano expressed gratitude for veterans who come together from all walks of life for a common patriotic duty.

The service concluded with a roll call, the first of its kind in Portage, honoring service members from the city who had died during military duty.