MILTON, Vt. — Every Memorial Day, the Milton Fire Station usually echoes with the voice of Darren Adams, a member of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing, as he delivers the community's annual remarks. But this year, with her father deployed overseas to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), a new voice stepped up to the podium: his daughter, Brooke.

Brooke volunteered to fill her father's shoes, ensuring their tradition of honoring the fallen on Memorial Day continue. Addressing a crowd of veterans, families, and community members, her words remind us that the duty of remembrance, and the sacrifices of service, are carried not just by those in uniform, but by the families who support them. Below is the full transcript of Brooke Adams' Memorial Day address.

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Good morning everyone.

Before we begin, I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking time out of your day to be here. Your presence today shows that remembrance still matters, that honoring those who served and sacrificed is something we continue to carry forward together as a community.

For those of you who may not know me, my name is Brooke Adams, and usually, my father is the one standing up here giving speeches like this, and for years I’ve been sitting on the sidelines watching him. But this year, it’s my turn to step off the bench after spending a long time warming it up.

Memorial Day is more than just a date on a calendar or the beginning of summer. It’s a day filled with meaning, reflection, gratitude, and respect. It’s a day where we pause not only to remember history, but to remember people — sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, friends, classmates, neighbors — ordinary people who made extraordinary sacrifices for something bigger than themselves.

Recently, I came across a quote that really stayed with me: (I’m going to be truthful I found it on Instagram) “Remembrance is the promise we keep, a debt that can never be repaid.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized how true those words are. We can never fully repay the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. No speech, no ceremony, no moment of silence could ever equal the sacrifice they made. But what we can do is remember them. We can speak their names, honor their stories, and make sure their courage is never forgotten.

For my generation, Memorial Day can sometimes feel distant from our everyday lives. Many of us have grown up reading about wars in textbooks instead of experiencing them firsthand. But freedom, safety, and the opportunities we enjoy every day did not simply appear on their own. They were protected and preserved by people willing to risk everything for others they would never even meet.

That kind of sacrifice is difficult to imagine. Imagine being far from home, far from family, facing uncertainty and fear, yet continuing forward because you believed in protecting others. The people we honor today carried burdens many of us will never fully understand. Some returned home forever changed, and some never returned home at all.

That is why Memorial Day matters.It matters because memory keeps sacrifice from fading into history. It reminds us that courage is real, that service matters, and that freedom comes with a cost. It reminds us to value not only our country, but one another.

As we gather today, surrounded by family, friends, veterans, and members of our community, I hope we all take a moment to reflect. Not just on the loss, but on the legacy left behind by those who served. Their bravery lives on in the freedoms we enjoy, in the communities we build, and in moments like this where people come together in gratitude and remembrance.

To the families who carry the loss of loved ones every single day, thank you for your strength and sacrifice. And to all veterans and service members here today, thank you for your service and for continuing the tradition of honor, courage, and dedication. Memorial Day is not only about looking back. It’s also about moving forward in a way that honors those who came before us by showing kindness, serving our communities, supporting one another, and never taking our freedoms for granted.

So today, let us remember. Let us be grateful. And let us keep the promise that those who gave everything for this country will never be forgotten. Thank you.