[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 177 (Thursday, November 9, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING VETERANS DAY

                                 ______


                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 9, 1995

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, today, there are over 28 million living 
veterans. They are among the reasons that the United States is the 
mightiest, wealthiest, most secure nation on the Earth today. They are 
the reason that the United States has been, and will continue to be, 
the bastion of support and solace for those in a world searching for 
freedom and human rights.
  This Veterans Day, in addition to honoring veterans from all wars, we 
are are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 
II. We particularly remember the veterans who fought in that war so 
that the world would be free from Hilter's tyranny.
  From a personal perspective, my family, like many others, is indebted 
to the American men and women who served in the Allied forces during 
World War II. Without them, I am not sure I would be here today. My 
mother and father spent the war fleeing and hiding from the Nazis. I 
was born in a displaced persons camp in 1948 after the war. If the 
Allied troops had not stopped Hitler's cruelty 50 years ago, would the 
war have been over by 1948? What would the map of the world look like 
today? I prefer not to dwell on these questions. Instead, on this 
Veterans Day, I wish to express my unending gratitude to these men and 
women.
  As a Member of Congress, I am pleased to be in a position to honor 
our veterans. They willingly went to war to defend our country and our 
way of life. Now the Federal Government has an obligation to provide 
the benefits that were promised to these men and women. We must honor 
that commitment. That is why I have consistently supported legislation 
in Congress to expand and preserve benefits for our Nation's veterans. 
It is ironic that in the year of the 50th anniversary of the end of 
World War II, some people in Congress have advocated breaking our 
commitment with our veterans by cutting their benefits. While I 
understand the need to get our fiscal house in order--balance the 
budget and reduce the deficit--I do not believe that doing so on the 
backs of veterans is the answer.
  Veterans Day is a time to remember all those men and women who gave 
their lives and livelihoods for their country. It is a time to honor 
those individuals who survived these armed conflicts and it is a time 
to reflect on how we can continue, in time of peace, the tradition of 
hard work for our Nation that these brave men and women established in 
time or war. Most importantly, we must reflect on how best to thank our 
veterans for their contributions to making this country the greatest 
democracy in the world.

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