[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 33 (Monday, March 3, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COMMEMORATING THE 42ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS

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                          HON. THOMAS E. PETRI

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 3, 2003

  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a few words this 
afternoon about how important the Peace Corps has become to the United 
States' foreign relations since its inception in 1961 by President John 
F. Kennedy. I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mogadishu, Somalia 
from 1966-67, so I can attest to not just the great work done by my 
fellow volunteers, but more importantly how Peace Corps volunteers have 
grown into wonderful ambassadors to their host communities and 
countries on the United States' behalf.
  Volunteers have worked in 136 countries over the past 42 years, with 
nearly 7,000 volunteers serving in 70 countries today. The work these 
dedicated men and women do is often hard, but always rewarding. They 
can be stationed in a city on the African coast, like I was, or a 
remote village in South America. Ranging from teaching school to 
agricultural development to health care, Peace Corps volunteers are 
trained to assist a community in almost every way possible and have 
become an invaluable part of the communities they serve.
  After four decades of participating and teaching in communities on 6 
continents, it is obvious that the Peace Corps has been successful 
beyond any expectations, helping countless communities realize the 
benefits of peace, freedom and economic prosperity. On its forty-second 
anniversary, I would like to commend the Corps and all of its 
volunteers for the unmatched education and service they have provided 
abroad and at home. I'm excited to see how far we will go in the next 
42 years.




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