Senator Carper’s Statement on Today’s Dignified Transfer at Dover Air Force Base

U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), the last serving Vietnam veteran in the U.S. Senate, joined several of his colleagues to pay his respects to the three fallen U.S. service members who were returned to Dover Air Force Base today and provided the following statement:

“Today was a solemn day for America as we brought home U.S. Army reservists Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett. I grieve with the families of these brave service members who lost their lives protecting ours.  

“I am reminded today of my Uncle Bob, my mom’s youngest brother, who died in 1944 at the age of 19 during a kamikaze attack in the western Pacific on his aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Suwanee. My grandmother became a Gold Star mother who, for more than a half a century, kept a framed black and white photograph of him in his dress blues in their dining room. My family felt this loss very deeply and it had a profound affect on my life and career. I keep that same photo in my office in Washington all these years later as my inspiration, and I know the three reservists that we mourn today will be an inspiration to their family, friends, and our country for generations to come.

“As we mourn, I remain grateful for the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations team’s dedication to their solemn duty to take care of our fallen. Make no mistake – we will hold all those responsible for this attack accountable and, along with our allies and partners, continue our work to eliminate terrorism.”