[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 119 (Thursday, September 19, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF FRANKIE M. MENO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2002

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, today I share with you an open letter 
written to the American public by my constituent, Frankie Michael Meno. 
This letter was composed to recognize the losses of September 11, 2001, 
on the one-year anniversary of the terror attacks against America. Mr. 
Meno's letter was accompanied by a CD containing a song, ``America'', 
which he wrote, and performed in the company of his step-children, 
nieces, and nephews: Jessica, Sarah, and Mason Inder, and Shay, 
Daverin, and Davin Diaz.
  Mr. Meno, a resident of lnarajan, Guam, began writing songs in 2000. 
He finds the process simple as the melody and words coming to him 
almost automatically. His song ``America'' was inspired by the pride he 
felt watching the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in 
Salt Lake City, Utah, where people of all nationalities, languages, and 
colors came together as one. Mr. Meno hopes ``America's message of 
peace and freedom can be extended to all corners of the world''.
  In speaking of Mr. Meno, I wish to convey to you his pride in America 
and his 16 years service with the U.S. Marines, his love of his family 
and children Christelle, Joseph, Antonia, and Jessica, and his 
grandchildren Isaiah and Jaythan, and his desire to use his song making 
abilities to help the victims of the terrorist attacks and to assist 
rebuilding Guam's educational system. Mr. Meno's song is one patriotic 
American's expression of our nation's feelings of loss, recognition of 
our citizens' heroism, and the ultimate hope that America's freedom can 
be shared with the world. These sentiments are held by all of us, and I 
am glad to be able to share this letter with you today.

                                                September 11, 2002
       Dear Fellow Americans, on this day, we join you in 
     remembering your loved ones who left us on September 11, 
     2001. We would like to join with you in recognizing and 
     remembering the brave men and women of the New York Fire 
     Department, the New York Police Department, and the other 
     heroes who sacrificed their lives to save another's. It is 
     these extraordinary deeds from ordinary people that make us 
     all proud to call ourselves Americans; your voices and deeds 
     will never be forgotten.
       My family and the people of Guam salute and embrace the 
     American people and the noble ideas they stand for. I 
     dedicate this song to the mothers and fathers, the sons and 
     daughters, and the men and women who made the ultimate 
     sacrifice to bring freedom and democracy to the island of 
     Guam during World War II. I would also like to dedicate it to 
     the American servicemen and to the people all over the world 
     who long for freedom and democracy. I dream of the day when 
     all the children of the world will be able to enjoy liberty's 
     blessings. God bless Guam, God bless America, and God bless 
     the world.
           Semper Fidelis,
                                             Frankie Michael Meno.

     

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