Vet­er­ans in Con­gress hon­or fall­en heroes on Memo­r­i­al Day and reflect on ser­vice

Mon­day marks Memo­r­i­al Day, when many mem­bers of Con­gress will hon­or not only their loved ones and their con­stituents but their own years in ser­vice.
In the 118th Con­gress, there were 99 vet­er­ans at the start of the term: 82 mem­bers in the House and 17 mem­bers in the Sen­ate. The num­ber of vet­er­ans elect­ed in 2022 marked the fourth time in the last 50 years that the total num­ber of elect­ed vet­er­ans increased.
Since the start of 2023, three vet­er­ans have retired ear­ly from the House: Reps. Mike Gal­lagher (R‑WI), Bill John­son (R‑OH), and Chris Stew­art (R‑UT). 
The Wash­ing­ton Exam­in­er reached out to over 30 law­mak­ers from the House and Sen­ate who served in the armed forces before they arrived in Con­gress. As they go home for Memo­r­i­al Day week­end, many will attend par­ties with con­stituents and neigh­bor …