Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks at Washington Memorial Day Celebration

Hands were pressed to hearts and tears wiped from eyes during the Memorial Day Observance held at Washington High School on Monday, May 27.

The ceremony was sponsored by the Washington Honor Guard and Washington American Legion Post No. 29 and held in the Washington High School gym. with Gov. Kim Reynolds being the keynote speaker.

Mike York, Commander of the Washington American Legion Post No. 29, said he was excited to have Gov. Reynolds as the guest speaker because it meant a lot to him that she saw value in coming to Washington.

'We're a small city and yet she cared enough to come and we appreciate that,” he said.

Washington citizens and people from the surrounding area were glad to have her, but no one was more excited to see Gov. Kim Reynolds, than Washington's own Mike Orris. Orris wrote a letter to Gov. Reynolds asking her to speak at the ceremony. She said once she received it, there was no hesitation and she made sure her schedule would accommodate the event.

'I appreciate it so much, getting a personal handwritten note by Mike Orris to invite me to come down here and I can't think of a better way to pay tribute to him and to all of those that serve,” she said after the ceremony. 'You have a great number of Iowans, men and women, that have served over time from Washington and Washington County, so it was an honor to be able to come down here and just be part of recognizing the men and women who are currently serving, so most importantly those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we get to live free every single day.”

During the ceremony, Orris presented her with a plaque recognizing her for speaking during the ceremony.

'Oh, it says down here at the bottom, ‘Mike would like a hug,'” he said with a grin after presenting.

During her speech, Gov. Reynolds celebrated the freedoms allowed because of local military members who fought and the ultimate sacrifice they gave for Memorial Day to be celebrated.

'From the Civil War to the current War on Terror, this community's military men and women fought alongside brave Americans in theaters spanning the globe. It's their courageous sacrifice that has cemented the foundation of freedom for Iowans now and forever,” she said.

Following her speech, the Washington Honor Guard gave a rifle salute and performed a folding of the flag ceremony. As taps followed, audience members quietly dabbed their eyes before joining together to sing God Bless America.

Rep. Jarad Klein was present at the ceremony and said it was important to him to be present because Memorial Day is a day to give a 'thank you” to all service members who have given their lives for freedom.

'It's always important to memorialize our fallen who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. 'These men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice for the greatest country in the world.”

City of Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien said he was glad to have Gov. Reynolds speak and even more glad to see such a large turnout at the ceremony because to him, Memorial Day is not just a day off from work.

'Family barbecues are important, but not nearly as important as taking a moment to remember,” he said.

Gov. Reynolds said it was an honor to speak at the service because Memorial Day holds a special meaning in her heart.

'It reminds me of how grateful I am to those who serve. Less than 1 percent of Americans serve in the armed forces and it's just a stark reminder of the relatively small number of men and women who put their life on the line to defend the freedom and liberties that we get to enjoy every day,” she said.