Seattle (November 11, 2018) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan issued the following statement in commemoration of Veterans Day:
“Today I reflect on the incredible sacrifices of the women and men who have bravely served our country. I thank them and let them know, we won’t forget.
“When I decided to run for this office, I announced at the Pacific Tower for a special reason: my father, who fought in World War II and served as a Navy frogman.
“After World War II nearby broke him, he spent most of a year there. At the time, it was a naval hospital and he was injured in a catastrophic accident at the end of the war.
“My father lay in a bed in Seattle for months at a time, while doctors and time put him back together. He defied the odds, and walked out of that building and entered the University of Washington on the GI bill. There he met my mom, the very spirited love of his life.
“Seattle literally rebuilt my father, and gave him a new life.
“It is a reminder of what so many men and women have sacrificed for our country, and how we must keep our commitment to them.
“Thank you to all who have served, and to those that serve today. We will and must remember your sacrifices.”