May 23, 2024, Press Release from the Office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine: (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine hosted a wreath-laying ceremony today to honor Ohio service members who sacrificed their lives while serving their country, protecting our freedom, and building a brighter future for others. The Governor’s Wreath-Laying Ceremony takes place each year ahead of Memorial Day. This year’s event was held at the Veterans Plaza on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse. “There is a powerful message in the expression, ‘freedom is not free.’ The families of the fallen – our Gold Star families – understand this on a level the rest of us can only imagine,” Governor DeWine said. “The Ohio military men and women whom we remember and celebrate at this event were sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. They believed in freedom, took an oath to defend it, and gave their lives doing just that. We owe them a debt we can never repay.”