Dear MI-03 Neighbor,

This week I’m thinking a lot about service and sacrifice, and the work it takes to keep and maintain a democracy. On Wednesday, our team had the honor of holding a posthumous medal ceremony for Army Specialist Four Lloyd Slack at which we presented his mother, Lola Mondy, with Lloyd’s service medals, medals she should have received over 50 years ago. Lloyd was a hero; drafted into the Vietnam War, he served his country despite not wanting to be there. One day, about 7 months after arriving in Vietnam, Lloyd and his troop were returning home from a mission when they were pinned down by a sniper. In that moment, Lloyd chose to sacrifice himself to protect his troop. Lloyd darted away from his men, drawing enemy fire to himself so they  could identify the sniper’s location and escape. Lloyd was hit and mortally wounded. As a result, his mother lost her only son, her only child. 

In the aftermath, Lola herself faced a difficult choice. She could have chosen bitterness after losing her son in a war he did not want to fight, but she did not. She could have chosen to turn inward and mourn in solitude and despair, but she did not. Lola, a Gold Star Mother, chose to turn her grief into something much more helpful for the community. She made herself available to other families who had lost their loved ones in service, to help work through their grief and understand that they are not alone.

Lloyd’s service and sacrifice represent the very best of who we are as a country, and who we are as West Michiganders. In a split-second decision, Lloyd put his company and his country above himself. While we cannot choose our circumstances–and many times they are less than desirable–we can choose how we respond in a moment. I’m taking inspiration from Lola and Lloyd, as I face the work of representing West Michigan in deeply divided times. Thank you both for your model and your sacrifice.

I’m incredibly grateful for the work of my team, especially Brad Stek and Khristian Silvis. They worked hard to recover these medals and make this proud moment possible for Lola. You can read more about Lloyd's story and our ceremony here, here, here, and here.

Week in Review

We had such an action-packed week in the district, I wanted to share with you a few picture collages to show all of our great work across West Michigan.

A Special Guest: SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman Visits West Michigan

I was honored to host the Small Business Administration Administrator, Isabel Guzman in the district. Her visit gave us the opportunity to show off all the incredible small businesses here and to stop by Michigan’s Small Business Development Center, which we are so proud to house in Grand Rapids! Through our visits, we also connected our local small businesses to the additional resources available to start, grow, and sustain a business.

Ottawa County Town Hall

This week, I went to Ottawa County, where I conducted my third in-person town hall and completed our tri-county tour! Showing up for constituents face-to-face is so important, and I am grateful for opportunities to hear your thoughts and ideas. In the midst of such an exciting event, I was honored to meet one constituent in particular. Samuel Malott and his mom stopped by before the town hall to express their gratitude for our constituent service work. Sam is an elite Taekwondo athlete who competed with the USA Para-athletic team at the Virtus Global Game in Vichy, France. Samuel’s mom needed to get a passport so she could be there to support him, and we helped her get it just in the nick of time. Samuel took home a bronze medal and we’re so very proud – way to represent West Michigan!

Community Funded Project Visits

This week, I had the opportunity to visit two sites of our Community Project Funding requests. These are projects for which I have requested line-item appropriations funding, and I’m proud to say that they have been included in the House appropriations package. 

The Grand River Greenway

First, we visited the Grand River Greenway–an expansive 76-mile trail project that still needs 23 miles to complete the system. My family spends a lot of time outdoors and I know firsthand how important it is to have beautiful green space in our community so families can recreate together. I look forward to eventually being able to bike from City to Shore!

West Michigan Sports Commission

I was so proud to support the West Michigan Sports Commission and its expansion of the Rockford sports fields. Sports draw on us to be our best selves–challenging us to dig deeper, try harder, and go further. They keep us fit–both physically and mentally. Sports also bring communities together around a common goal, they call on us to put our differences aside and work together. Sports have the power to transform communities, and I was honored to include this project as one of my requests. (Bonus: I got to meet the 1984 Detroit Tigers World Series Champs Catcher, Mr. Lance Parrish)

United States Coast Guard Festival

The week wrapped with an emphasis on service and sacrifice as well. We were able to celebrate the 233rd birthday of the United States Coast Guard right here in Coast Guard City USA with the 99th annual Coast Guard Festival. I’m so proud to serve as the Vice Ranking Member on the Coast Guard Subcommittee and to be championing legislation to ensure that our Coasties get paid–like the other branches of the military–in the event of a Government shutdown.

The Week Ahead

Our August district work period has just begun and we won’t be back in session until September 13th. During this time, I’ll be hard at work in the district and traveling with my fellow Members of Congress to learn more about transportation and infrastructure projects around the globe, how we can stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, and serving as an ambassador for our country and West Michigan abroad. I can’t wait to share with you what I’ve learned and shared. I’m grateful that my team will get some much-needed rest to restore and prepare for the busy months ahead. We will be taking a break from the newsletter until September, but will provide a recap of summer happenings once we’re back! 


Please continue to keep those calls and e-mails coming throughout August. Your interests are my interests. We want to hear from you about what we should be prioritizing in DC!
West Michigan, it’s an honor to serve you. 

Warmly, 

Hillary J. Scholten
Member of Congress