Press Releases

In advance of Memorial Day, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), was honored to join PepsiCo and the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation during their Rolling Remembrance stop in our nation’s capital as they made their 8,000+ mile long relay of an American flag from Seattle to New York in honor of military families. The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation does vitally important work to provide college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. Chairman Bost’s remarks at the event, as prepared, can be read below.



Good morning.

It is an honor to be here to speak with you all today – just two weeks before Memorial Day.

And thank you to PepsiCo and the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation for having me.

My name is Mike Bost, I am a Congressman from Southern Illinois and the Chairman of the House Veteran Affairs’ Committee.

I am a Marine Corps veteran myself, and I come from a military family.

The work that our Committee, and organizations like you do in partnership for military families is personal for me, and I know it is for you all too.

As you all know, military families make tremendous sacrifices.

Military spouses and military children do not have easy roles and deserve the utmost recognition.

Which is why I am so grateful for the work the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation does.

You support the most deserving military children, those who have had to deal with the tragedy of losing a parent in the line of duty, by providing them with the gift of opportunity.

An opportunity they may not have had without your organization.

That means something. And to these children, and these families, I know it means everything.

While we can tragically never bring back their fallen soldier, sailor, Airmen, or Marine.

We can honor their service through action.

Your dedication to doing exactly that for the families of our nation’s fallen servicemembers is commendable.

Not only are you honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, but you are also investing in the future of our nation in a meaningful way, which is something I care deeply about.

So thank you.

Thank you for your efforts to leave our nation and our military families better off than they were before.

Thank you for empowering our survivors, and thank you for your tireless advocacy.

Your efforts do not go unnoticed, and I am proud to work alongside organizations like yours toward our common goal of ensuring that our military families receive the care and support they have earned.

Keep up the excellent work, and best of luck to the Children of Fallen Patriots team on the rest of their Rolling Remembrance tour.

Thank you for your service, and God bless you and God bless our military families.