So good evening everyone. Let me just start first of all by thanking you all
for being here.
I know for the family, having so many folks turn out as part of this vigil is
important because more than anything
as they suffer through the terrible tragedy of this loss.
I'm sure there's a desire on their part
to know that we here in the commonwealth and especially we're
friends and her family and her neighbors here in Lawrence
will never forget.
As I thought about what I might say tonight,
I came across a letter
that was written by marine Captain Austin feeling
now this marine captain
has had the opportunity over the course of his career
to get to know and to spend time with 1000s and thousands and thousands of
marines.
And yet
when he learned of the loss,
the sergeant jo Hani rosario, Pichardo,
he sat down
and he wrote a letter, a very public letter
to her and about her.
And when you think about this whole question
of who's going to remember,
who is never going to forget
this letter in some respects, speaks to the fact that this man
sat down and felt obligated because of the impression that she made on him
to write to her
and to speak to how important she was
as a marine and as a person to him. And I'm not going to read the whole thing,
but I'm gonna read some of it
In the midst of the letter, he says at one
rosario had her flaws. One of those was that she ran slower than a tortoise
through peanut butter.
Maybe it was because Rosie couldn't run that she never ran away from her
problems. She attacked them head on and that's what probably brought her to the
front of Abbey Gate At Hamad Karzai International Airport on August 26.
Initial reports indicate she was a member of the female engagement team
screening women and Children for evacuation to the United States.
She helped over 30,000 people reach safety before she was killed by a
suicide bomber.
Mhm
To Rosie service was a privilege kelly wrote.
So that's who we lost. A proud Dominican american, a daughter, sister,
girlfriend and anti a student and a teacher, a caretaker, a United States
Marine.
She wrote at one point that if she were to end her active service years next
year, she'd feel accomplished and happy that she quote, got to do and
experience the things she wanted. Close quote
Sergeant Rosie, I'm so proud of the marine. You became
or forever be inspired by the work you did, the lives you saved and the
sacrifice you made. Thank you for everything. Semper video. Fidelis
Marine.
This is a guy. This is a guy
who's done a lot of things. He's been a lot of places he knows a lot of people,
but johan, he made such an impression on him
that he wanted to tell the world
just how much we've lost
and how important she was
to the mission to the marines, to the country, to her family and to all those
she's touched during the course of her short life.
It's an old saying about how those who burn brightest burned out first.
We see the sunrise and the sunset
and that full moon shine
in this city and this commonwealth.
I hope you all take a moment and remember one of our brightest stars, jo
Hani rosario Pichardo. God bless and simplify. Thank you.
Mhm. Mhm.
Thank you governor.
I don't like to call
for her comments. Thank you.