[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 70 (Friday, May 14, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II FROM MOUNT 
                           PLEASANT, MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVE CAMP

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 1999

  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and 
women from Mount Pleasant, Michigan, who served in World War I and 
World War II.
  On May 15, the city's memorials will be rededicated. I am honored to 
be invited to the ceremony and have submitted for the Record my 
remarks, which follow:
  It is my privilege to join as we pay tribute to the men and women who 
fought in World War I and World War II. Some have joined us today. Some 
died on the battlefield. All served with honor.
  When these monuments were first dedicated a different group of people 
stood here. They were mothers and fathers, sweethearts, classmates, and 
childhood friends to those they came to honor. With swollen pride and 
teary eyes, they remembered these sons and daughters.
  They could recount with detail the great battles led by our generals 
and the evil deeds committed by our enemies. They made do without at 
home to win the war abroad. They knew sacrifice, loyalty, and mission.
  As time passes, it is inevitable that the bitter memories of war 
fade. The names of the dead are engraved on plaques, and whispered at 
night by widows in prayers that only God hears.
  But because each new generation is faced with learning the value of 
freedom and the price it demands, they must turn to the past, to learn 
and remember.
  The lessons of World Wars I and II, like these two monuments, still 
stand. They are honor, service, bravery, and patriotism.
  The greatest memorial we can give to those who served in these wars 
is to keep the memories of these men and women in our hearts and minds, 
and to pass on their sacred values to our children.

                          ____________________