[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 92 (Friday, June 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1413]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MEDAL OF HONOR MEMORIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 25, 1999

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and take great pride 
in describing to my colleagues the events surrounding the dedication of 
this Nation's only memorial to our 3,410 Medal of Honor recipients--the 
highest award for Valor given by our country.
  On May 28th, the last Memorial Day weekend of the 20th century, I was 
joined by my Hoosier colleagues Representatives Buyer, McIntosh, and 
Hill, Senator Bayh, Lt. Governor Kernan, Mayor Goldsmith of 
Indianapolis, IPALCO Chairman John Hodowal, and 98 of the 157 living 
Medal of Honor recipients, to dedicate the new Medal of Honor Memorial. 
Medal of Honor recipients Sammy L. Davis and Melvin Biddle joined us on 
the dais, representing their comrades-in-arms.
  The new memorial is located along the north bank of the Central Canal 
in White River State Park, located in downtown Indianapolis. It sits 
adjacent to Military Park, the site of the city's first recorded 4th of 
July celebration in 1822, which would later be used as a recruiting and 
training camp for soldiers from Indiana during the Civil War.
  It is at this aptly suited site that the local power utility, IPALCO 
Enterprises, under the leadership of its Chairman, John Hodowal, who 
along with his wife, Caroline, and countless IPALCO employees and 
volunteers, has erected this breathtaking memorial. It was Caroline 
Hodowal, who first read a newspaper article about the Medal recipients, 
and then conceived the idea for the new memorial when she and her 
husband realized that none existed.
  Visitors to the site will see citations for each of the 3,410 medal 
recipients etched into glass walls. The twenty-seven curved glass 
walls, each between 7 and 10 feet tall, represent the 15 conflicts, 
dating back to the Civil War, in which selfless acts of bravery 
resulted in the awarding of the Medal of Honor. Steps, benches and a 
grassy area provide seating for visitors to rest, reflect and view this 
magnificent memorial. Additionally, each evening at dusk, a sound 
system plays a thirty minute recorded account about a medal recipient, 
his story, and the act for which he received this Nation's highest 
military honor. As each story is told, lights illuminate the 
appropriate portion of the memorial to highlight the war or conflict 
being discussed.
  In the words of Mr. Hodowal, this memorial serves two purposes: 
``It's an opportunity to say thanks for the sacrifices [these men] 
made, and it's a chance to show the next generation what real heroes 
look like . . . to show that ordinary people sometimes do extraordinary 
things.''
  Mr. Speaker, Indiana has a proud tradition of honoring those who have 
sacrificed so much to preserve our freedom. We must never forget that 
our freedom is not free. Because of the selfless sacrifices of so many, 
we are free to enjoy so much in America. I encourage all of my 
colleagues to visit Indianapolis and see this newest jewel of our city 
and State. It is something that you will not soon forget.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record the 
list of the Medal recipients who were the guests of the people of 
Indiana at the festivities during this past Memorial Day weekend.

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