NOTE: Photo Included Below
LANSING, Mich. (May 27, 2023) — On Thursday, May 25, Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp.) was joined at the Michigan Senate’s 28th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony by her distinguished guest, Donald Bliss, a Jackson County Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War.
“The annual Memorial Day ceremony is a very special tradition of the Senate’s that puts political differences aside and enables us to come together to recognize veterans and their families from our districts and around the state,” said Sen. Shink. “The event was so moving and was made all the more powerful by sharing it alongside Donald. I am so grateful for his service and his continued contributions to our community.”
Mr. Bliss served as a corpsman in the Navy during the Vietnam War, from 1966 to 1970. U.S. Navy corpsmen, officially referred to as HM hospital corpsmen, are medical specialists with many duties similar to civilian physicians’ assistants, but with an obligation to provide medical care in the field or anywhere else they are needed by U.S. Navy soldiers or U.S. Marines.
During his four-year stint in the Navy, Mr. Bliss spent time stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois, and in Puerto Rico, Taiwan and Japan. Mr. Bliss’s noteworthy awards for his service include the Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.
Every year since 1995, the Michigan Senate holds a special session to commemorate Memorial Day and recognize Michigan veterans, active military servicemembers, and their families, including our state’s Blue Star Mothers, to express both the Senate and the entire state’s gratitude for their service. The ceremony also recognizes the Michigan soldiers who have lost their lives as well as their Gold Star Families they have left behind.
“I will continue to honor Donald and his fellow veterans and their families in every way that I can, including on supportive legislation and in our upcoming budget investments for the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the other state departments and services that provide valuable assistance for vets in my district and around the state,” Sen. Shink said.
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Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp.), Sen. Shink’s guest, Navy Vietnam Veteran and Jackson County resident Donald Bliss, and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II are pictured on the Senate floor following the Michigan Senate’s 28th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Thursday, May 25, 2023.