WHEREAS, in keeping since 1939, June has been designated as the time to celebrate the bounty of dairy products and pay tribute to U.S. dairy farmers and their contribution to and important role in agriculture; and

WHEREAS, one hundred and seventy-six Maine dairy farms care for herds of cows, goats, and sheep and steward 700 thousand acres of desirable and critical farmland, which also provide numerous public benefits in addition to agricultural products, such as scenic and open spaces that enhance their communities; and

WHEREAS, the Stonewall riots that began on June 28, 1969, sparked the LGBTQ rights movement in America; and

WHEREAS, during these riots, LGBTQ citizens, led by transgender women of color, rose up and resisted police harassment that arose out of discriminatory criminal laws that have since been declared unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, in the decades since the Stonewall riots, Pride celebrations have taken place around the country every June to commemorate this historic turning point for the LGBTQ community; and

WHEREAS, Samantha Smith, a Maine native, looked upon the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union with the innocence of a ten-year-old child; and

WHEREAS, through a letter to Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov, Samantha Smith expressed her fears of the possible threat of nuclear holocaust; and

WHEREAS, after receiving the letter, Premier Andropov invited Samantha Smith to visit the Soviet Union where she learned that its citizens, especially its children, were very similar to those in Maine; and

WHEREAS, An Act To Create a James Weldon Johnson Annual Observance Day and an Observance Task Force was enacted in Maine on June 20, 2021, to honor the life and perpetuate the legacy of one of our nation’s great Civil Rights leaders, that of the author, educator, journalist, lawyer, and diplomat James Weldon Johnson; and

WHEREAS, registered nurses in the United States constitute our nation’s largest health care profession and are an indispensable component of the safety and quality of care of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients; and

WHEREAS, the depth and breadth of the registered nursing profession meets the different and emerging health care needs of the people of Maine in a wide range of settings; and

As the daughter, the niece, and the sister of veterans myself, I always mark Memorial Day with gratitude and grief. Gratitude that my loved ones came home from conflicts around the world and grief for the Maine servicemen and women we’ve lost.  

This Memorial Day, we honor those who perished to preserve our country and to protect our freedoms.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Our state can proudly say that we are home to one of the highest number of veterans per capita of any state in the nation.

But when you consider Maine’s long and proud history of military service, that comes as no surprise.

From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Maine people have stood up to defend our nation and its ideals and our state has shouldered its responsibility to protect our country.

Those Mainers – and many more – served and fought with determination and great hope for our collective future. A determination and hope that I respect and hold today.

This Memorial Day let us honor with reverence all those who have faithfully served our state and our nation in the Armed Forces and those who gave, as President Lincoln said, ‘the last full measure of devotion’.  

In their memory, may we better serve our veterans and their families. To our servicemembers, I want you to know that my Administration is standing by your side, just as you have stood by us.

Through the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, we have re-established the Aides-De-Camp veterans’ advisory program; we have expanded free dental care for veterans; we have created the Governor’s Challenge to coordinate behavioral health services between agencies; and we have expanded our Homeless Veteran Coordinator team. Any veteran who is struggling to find affordable housing can reach out to the Bureau for help.

Through the Maine Department of Labor, we have connected veterans with employers through our annual Hire-A-Vet campaign, and through the Maine Revenue Service we have provided property tax relief to Maine veterans. And just recently we fought to keep the Maine Veterans’ Homes in Caribou and Machias open for veterans and their spouses.

I am proud of that progress, but there is always more we can do to support those who wore the uniform. My Administration will continue to push for better services for all Maine veterans and their families – all of whom have sacrificed so much to keep us safe.

To all those who have served and to all those who continue to serve our country: our hearts, our gratitude, are with you this Memorial Day, 2022.

God bless you. God bless the State of Maine.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.