[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              THE SECOND ANNUAL SALUTE TO VIETNAM VETERANS

                                 ______


                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, April 6, 1995
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, a very special event will be taking place 
in my district later this month. The Hillsborough County Friends of the 
Parks and the Veterans Memorial Museum Committee are hosting the Second 
Annual Salute to Vietnam Veterans at Edward Medard Park.
  This week-long salute is to honor all Vietnam veterans and will 
include the moving wall. This event is dedicated to Vietnam veterans 
and their families.
  The moving wall is a one-half scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial in Washington, DC. It is 250 feet long and contains the names 
of 58,191 Americans killed during the Vietnam war. The wall also 
includes the names of American servicemembers still unaccounted for.
  Eight women are listed among the names listed on the Wall. Seven of 
them were Army nurses and one was an Air Force nurse. There are also 16 
chaplains listed on the Memorial. Two of these men were awarded the 
Congressional Medal of Honor.
  The moving wall is a powerful symbol. Hundreds of thousands of people 
across the country have visited it in or near their communities. I am 
proud to say that on the previous occasions when it has been displayed 
in Florida, approximately 300,000 Floridians have visited the moving 
wall.
  As of January 1, 1993, the memorial has been displayed in 315 
communities throughout the United States and Canada. In addition, it 
has been displayed in Puerto Rico and Guam. Requests to have the wall 
have come from as far away as Australia, Ireland, and Germany.
  I would like to take this opportunity to commend the organizers of 
this great event. It is a stirring reminder of just how blessed we are 
in the modern world to live in a free society, and will not allow us to 
forget that this blessing is due to the sacrifices of our friends, 
relatives, neighbors, and countrymen who served us all when duty 
called.
  For as long as the American soldier stands ready to support his 
country and its allies, the forces of oppression and injustice will be 
held in check. For this, the American serviceman--the veteran--must 
never be forgotten.


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