[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 145 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2090]]
                              VETERANS DAY

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                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2000

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, last week, Americans paused to give thanks 
and to honor the veterans who have served our nation in times of war 
and in time of peace. The dedication of our women and men in uniform 
makes our nation strong and keeps us free.
  I have made it my personal mission in Congress to ensure that our 
citizens and our government neither forget nor ignore the debt we owe 
to those who serve the United States so nobly. In wartime, the very 
best young people our country produces are asked to risk and possibly 
lose their lives in order to advance our national interests. In 
peacetime, serving as an airman, sailor, soldier, or marine also 
requires a great deal of hard work and sacrifice. Whether in war on in 
peace, those sacrifices are particularly difficult for the service 
members' families.
  Just before Veterans Day, I received a copy of an article by Denny 
Bannister of the Missouri Farm Bureau entitled ``Scars on Their 
Souls.'' I would like to submit this article and ask that it be printed 
in the Congressional Record along with my remarks. Denny's words 
explain so well what it means to serve our country and why we owe our 
veterans so much. His sentiments should help us remember that we need 
to honor our men and women in uniform not just on Veterans Day, but 
every day of the year.

                          Scars on Their Souls

       Like many veterans, I belong to the American Foreign Legion 
     post in my hometown. Most American Legion posts are similar--
     we have fish fries on Friday nights, Bingo on Wednesdays, 
     barbecues in the summer, country music on the jukebox, and 
     there's a faint odor of stale beer, cigarettes and popcorn in 
     the hospitality room.
       When Legionnaires remove their trinket-covered American 
     Legion caps, there's a lot of gray hair to be seen--if 
     there's any hair to be seen at all. America's wartime 
     veterans are aging rapidly. We are playing taps far too much 
     these days for our comrades from World War II.
       This year commemorates the beginning of the Korean War 50 
     years ago. Like our World War II veterans, Korean War vets 
     are decreasing in numbers, and now the Vietnam era vets are 
     beginning to retire. We know we are next.
       Give most vets half-a-chance and they will share their 
     military experiences with other vets. Give some vets half-a-
     chance and they will share their military experiences with 
     everyone.
       But there are a few vets who don't share their military 
     experiences with anyone.
       Some of them sit quietly in a corner or at the end of the 
     bar, not really talking to anyone. Others might mingle and 
     socialize--until the subject turns to war memories. Then they 
     quietly withdraw.
       One of my dearest friends served in Vietnam. I served 
     during the war, but he served in the war--there is a big 
     difference. I have a lot of good memories about my military 
     experiences, memories I like to remember. He has a lot of 
     memories about his military experiences he would like to 
     forget. As close as we are, he has never shared them with me.
       Everyone who fought for their country in every war was 
     wounded in some way or the other--physically, spiritually or 
     emotionally. Some wounds are much more serious than others, 
     and they don't always come from bullets.
       I have seen the scars from the entry wounds on my friend's 
     abdomen and the scars from exit wounds on his back. As 
     painful as these wounds must have been, the most painful 
     wounds he suffered in Vietnam left scars on his soul. Try as 
     he might, he cannot drink them away.
       Legion posts are not elegant country clubs where prospects 
     need pull, position and power to become members. Wealth is 
     not an eligibility requirement. But for many of our veterans, 
     the price for membership was terribly high.
       Regardless of which era they come from, which war they 
     served during or in, or which uniform they wore, our veterans 
     deserve our heartfelt thanks--not only on Veterans Day, but 
     every day we enjoy the freedoms they were willing to fight 
     for. God bless them all.

     

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