[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 145 (Tuesday, November 12, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING OUR NATION'S VETERANS

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Madam President, we convene again today after a 
national holiday set aside to honor one of America's greatest 
treasures, its veterans.
  This important holiday, originally called Armistice Day, began as a 
commemoration of the historic ending of World War I at the eleventh 
hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. Armistice Day 
became primarily a day of remembrance for those who served during World 
War I; indeed, Americans hoped World War I would be ``the war to end 
all wars.''
  Then, during World War II, 16 million Americans again answered the 
call to service on behalf of our Nation. After the war ended, Americans 
saw the need to honor all those who served in the United States Armed 
Forces, during times of war and peace, and through all periods of our 
history. On June 1, 1954, Armistice Day became Veterans Day.
  I know that many of my colleagues joined me yesterday in taking the 
Veterans Day holiday to celebrate the soldiers, sailors, marines and 
airmen who wore this Nation's uniform and served honorably. That is a 
start, but we must do more.
  As the crisis with Iraq heightens, it is especially appropriate to 
make certain that we keep the promise of care and support made to young 
men and women who made great sacrifices on behalf of this Nation. We 
must remember the pledge of Abraham Lincoln, ``to care for him who 
shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.'' As 
Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have fought hard for 
improvements in benefits and services for our Nation's veterans. We 
have made progress in fulfilling Abraham Lincoln's pledge this year, 
but we must never waiver in our commitment to provide our veterans with 
benefits and services that reflect their changing needs.
  For example, our Nation's rapidly aging veterans have a critical need 
for long-term care. There can be no doubt that such care requires great 
resources, but it is our responsibility to answer the call to provide a 
continuum of quality health care for veterans, as they once answered 
the call to preserve our freedoms.
  I am honored to represent the State of West Virginia, which has one 
of the highest veteran populations per capita of any State. The service 
of the over 202,000 living West Virginia veterans inspires me each day 
in my role as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where I 
have the privilege to serve not only the veterans of West Virginia, but 
those living throughout this Nation.
  America's 25 million living veterans deserve to be honored and 
respected every day, and not merely on the national holiday set aside 
for the commemoration of their service. It would be shameful if 
veterans were made to feel forgotten every day except for this one day 
each year. There should be no ambivalence toward those who have served 
our Nation in the armed forces.
  I urge my colleagues to join me, not only to remember the sacrifices 
of our veterans, but to renew our commitment to them and to keep the 
promises that we made to them in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln. The men 
and women who served this Nation deserve no less.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to our 
Nation's devoted Veterans. It is these men and women, past and present, 
who embody the ideals of freedom, liberty and justice, which are the 
foundation of our great Nation.
  Veterans Day is a time to recognize those Americans who gave what 
President Abraham Lincoln once called ``the last full measure of 
devotion.'' While we reflect on the deeds of these heroes and stand 
grateful for their service and sacrifice, we must also ponder the 
ongoing actions of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines.
  Ours is a great Nation of free people who call our finest men and 
women to stand guard and protect the liberty that all Americans enjoy. 
To this end, all of those who have donned the uniform of our Armed 
Forces have consciously given a piece of themselves. Whether during 
peacetime or a time of conflict; at home or abroad; in the active 
component, the reserves or the national guard; their service has been 
characterized by selflessness and a sense of a greater purpose.
  Throughout our history, they have answered the call. Whether that 
call to service sent them to a distant land full of turmoil, or to the 
flight line at a base in the Midwest, they have served with dignity and 
honor.
  I am proud that my home State of Texas has a rich tradition of 
military leadership. Our young men and women have signed up to serve 
their Nation and are stationed throughout the United States and in all 
corners of the globe. More Marines join the Corps from Texas per capita 
than any other State. And we are home to more Army and Air Force bases 
than any State.
  As these men and women have sacrificed, so too has a far less 
recognized segment of our Veteran population--their spouses. For each 
displaced serviceman, there is often a husband or wife left behind. 
These silent patriots have kissed their loved ones goodbye and sent 
them off to serve this country. They diligently run their households 
while their mate provides security at an airport in another part of the 
country or serves on a foreign base halfway around the globe. They have 
often put their career on hold and patiently moved the family to the 
next in a long series of new bases and new communities. Whatever 
accolades we bestow upon our Veterans, we must also remember the 
parallel sacrifice of their heroic spouses.
  Today our troops are answering the call to duty in locations around 
the world. The war on terrorism is being waged by America's finest, 
from Afghanistan to the Philippines. Soldiers in South Korea continue 
to keep watch on the communist regime to their North. Air Force pilots 
continue to patrol the skies over Iraq as the world contemplates the 
future of the region. Reservists and National Guardsmen continue to 
serve, at the expense of their civilian vocations, on extended active 
duty for a year or more. Some of our military patriots continue to 
serve well beyond the date they were to leave active service because 
the Nation continues to need their expertise.
  On this Veterans Day, we express our heartfelt gratitude to our 
Nation's veterans and to their spouses. We have incurred a debt to them 
that can never be fully repaid. Today we remember those who have gone 
before and honor tomorrow's veterans who serve our country today.

                          ____________________