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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1411-E1412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO VETERANS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES
______
HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Friday, November 8, 2019
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to all the men
and women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States and
risked their lives to defend our freedoms and way of life and took and
lived the oath to ``support and defend the Constitution of the United
States against all enemies, foreign and domestic'' and bore true faith
and allegiance to the same, an obligation they took freely, without any
mental reservation or purpose of evasion.''
Veterans are truly heroes walking among us.
I want to thank all of our armed servicemen and women for their
selfless dedication to our protection every day.
Veterans Day is a reminder to all of us who live in freedom that as
President Kennedy said, ``The price of freedom is high, but Americans
have always paid it.''
This Veterans Day is a welcome opportunity to remember that the
fallen who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country on
battlefields around the world--in places whose names may be
unforgettable--or locations that have slipped into the pages of
history.
We will never forget:
Revolutionary War: Valley Forge; York Town.
Civil War: The Battle of Antietam; The Battle of Gettysburg.
World War I: The Battle of Argonne; Flanders Field; Verdun.
World War II: Pearl Harbor; Battle of Bataan; The Battle of Midway;
D-Day; Battle of the Bulge; Battle of Anzio; Battle of Corregidor.
Korean War: Inchon; Heart Break Ridge; Pork Chop Hill.
Vietnam: Tet Offensive; Battle of Hue.
Desert Storm: September 11, 2001; Pentagon Attack (125 killed).
Operation Enduring Freedom: Battle of Kandahar.
Operation Iraqi Freedom: Second Battle of Fallujah.
The memory of the fallen are never forgotten.
Madam Speaker, each Veterans Day, Americans come together to remember
those who
[[Page E1412]]
have served our country around the world in the name of freedom and
democracy.
The debt that we owe to them is immeasurable.
Their sacrifices, and those of their families, are freedom's
foundation.
Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen,
marines and Coast Guardsmen and women and their families, our country
would not live so freely.
I offer my deepest gratitude to our nation's troops and reservists,
their families, and the 21.6 million veterans, including 29,126 here in
the 18th Congressional District.
21.6 million brave men and women are veterans of our nation's
military service.
This includes more than 2 million women, 2.7 million African American
men and women, 1.5 million Hispanic men and women, 342,000 Asian
American Pacific Islanders, and 178,000 American Indians.
Nine in ten military families believe the public does not understand
or appreciate their sacrifices.
We use Veterans Day to show our veterans and military families how
important they are to us and how grateful we are for them each and
everyday.
November is National Caregivers Month to show our caregivers how
grateful we are for them.
It is only fitting that we thank those caregivers who serve our
military today.
5.5 million spouses, parents, children, and other loved ones care for
our wounded warriors and 15 percent of caregivers spend 40+ hours a
week providing care for our military families.
As a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland
Security, I care deeply about our veterans.
I Congress, I have sponsored many legislative proposals and co-
sponsored more than 50 pieces of legislation that will positively
benefit our veterans and their families.''
On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind.
As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we
leave no veteran behind.
This day and every day let us honor their service with actions that
fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our
veterans--and that are worthy of our grateful nation.
____________________
