New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not speak during the funeral of Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad, which took place in Queens. Rampersad was one of three U.S. service members killed in Jordan on July 17 during an Iranian attack.
Mamdani was present at the service held in Ozone Park, but he did not make any remarks. According to the New York Post, he appeared ready with prepared remarks on an iPad, yet was not invited to speak.
The family of Sgt. Rampersad reportedly decided against having Mamdani speak to avoid potential “political distractions.”
Despite not speaking at the funeral, the mayor’s office later released his prepared statement in which he intended to honor Rampersad’s sacrifice. He planned to express gratitude for her service, acknowledging her sacrifice in terms of missed future events and daily life moments.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivered a speech, expressing admiration for Rampersad and likening her to one of her daughters.
The Department of War confirmed Rampersad, 28, was killed in an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. She was part of an effort involving U.S. Central Command and partner forces to defend against Iranian attacks.
Alongside Rampersad, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales were also killed. They were all deployed to Jordan to support Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Sgt. Rampersad served as a 25U Signal Operations Support Specialist with the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based in Ansbach, Germany.
Leave a Reply