Quinn remembers our fallen soldiers; he has not failed us

Letter to Editor

 

 We first met Gov. Pat Quinn on March 3, 2005. That was the day our
son, Corp. John T. Olson USMC, was buried. John died at the young age
of 21 and served three tours of duty in Iraq. Then-Lt. Gov. Quinn
came, all by himself, to pay his respects. As he gave us his
condolences, Pat (as we fondly refer to him) asked us what he could
do. Our response: Don’t let our country or our state forget John and
all the fallen.

We can tell you Gov. Quinn has not failed us. For many years before he
was governor, and still today he has attended nearly every wake or
funeral for the fallen in Illinois. He is involved with Gold Star
Mothers and The Illinois Freedom Run among countless causes. He is the
biggest advocate of veterans, their families and Gold Star Families,
and his genuine support of our military brings us true comfort.

Being governor is tough, especially with the state of affairs Illinois
was in when he inherited the job. And right now, everyone is talking
about the economy that is a major priority. But every day, we live
with the loss of our son, and that is our private battle.

We as a state need Gov. Quinn because he has made the hard decisions
to put us on the right path, but also because he has not forgotten
about you and me. He hasn’t forgotten the millions of everyday people
and our struggles, and he has never, ever forgotten John.

Just like John, Pat loves his country and serves with honor and
dignity because he knows he can make a difference. What Illinois needs
is an honest, hardworking, compassionate governor. We cannot forget
that we already have that in Gov. Quinn.

John and Diana Olson