Press Release — May 22, 2026

Jonny Larsen Reflects on Sacrifice and Service Ahead of Memorial Day

For a Marine combat veteran, Memorial Day is never just a holiday

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — This Monday, Americans across the country will pause to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this nation. For gold star families, for fellow veterans, and for communities that have sent their sons and daughters to war, the remembrance runs far deeper than a long weekend.

For Marine Corps combat veteran Jonny Larsen, the Democratic nominee for Utah's 4th Congressional District, that remembrance is deeply personal. During his second tour in Iraq in 2004, Larsen's company suffered devastating losses. His friend and fellow NCO, Corporal Jason Dunham, threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of the Marines beside him, an act of selfless heroism that earned him the Medal of Honor posthumously. The USS Dunham now bears his name. Jonny's company also lost their commanding officer, Captain Richard Gannon who was promoted to Major posthumously, four Marines from weapons platoon, and a Marine from Jonny's own platoon. Dozens more were wounded, many of them in Jonny's platoon, which served as the react platoon, first into danger, every time.

"I carry them with me," said Larsen. "Lance Corporal Christopher Wasser, Corporal Dunham. Major Gannon. Every one of them. When I think about why I'm running, it comes back to them and to every family that sent someone off to war and never got them back. The least we can do is be worthy of that sacrifice."

As a candidate for Congress, Larsen carries that sense of duty into his campaign on behalf of Utah's 4th District. He believes the best way to honor the fallen is to build the kind of country they believed they were fighting for, one that takes care of its veterans, supports their families, and never sends anyone into harm's way without purpose or accountability. This Memorial Day, he asks all Utahns to take a moment to truly remember the names behind the sacrifice.

Jonny Larsen is the Democratic nominee for Utah's 4th Congressional District. A Marine Corps infantry veteran who served from 2000 to 2004 and rose to the rank of Sergeant, Larsen deployed twice to Iraq and was present in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001, where he witnessed the attack on the Pentagon and later stood as part of the first Honor Guard at Ground Zero. Learn more at JonnyLarsen.com.