Sen. Michael Bennet and then-Rep. Cory Gardner tour Northern Colorado businesses together in 2011.
WASHINGTON — A pair of luminaries from the military will join Colorado’s two U.S. senators next week at the annual State of the Union address.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., announced that he plans to bring Lt. Jim Downing (Ret.) of Colorado Springs as a guest. At the age of 101, Downing is the “oldest known surviving veteran from the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor,” according to Bennetap office. Also joining Bennet will be Downing’s daughter Marobeth. She can attend because Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii offered his guest ticket to her.
“Lt. Downing is a hero who has lived an incredible life. Our nation is indebted to him and his fellow sailors for their service in defense of our country,” Bennet said in a statement. “Inviting him to attend the State of the Union is one small act we can make to help honor him and the men and women who served during the attack on Pearl Harbor.”
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., has asked Admiral Michelle Howard, a native of Aurora, to accompany him. Howard is the first black woman to “command a Navy warship at sea” and is also the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral, according to Gardner’s office.
“I am extremely excited to have Admiral Howard accompany me to the state of the Union,” Gardner said in a statement. “To be able to bring a guest who has served her country so impeccably over the course of her distinguished career is a tremendous honor.”
