[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 125 (Thursday, September 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          THE ALMOST FORGOTTEN

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                           HON. AMO HOUGHTON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 10, 2003

  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday evening, I had the honor of 
giving out several medals to WW II Veterans and their families--Nick 
Cavallaro, Leon Andrews, Frank Barber, and Charlie Giardina in Corning, 
NY.
  On the wall behind us was a battle scene and under it were the words: 
``The United States is #1 because of its veterans.'' It was a haunting 
reminder of how much we owe to those who leave their families, their 
friends, and go off to defend the idea of freedom which, of course, is 
the reason for this country being what it is.
  There is not a family that has not been touched by some sort of 
wartime heroism. The flashbacks of those honored veterans of Crystal 
City Post 524--headed by Doug Herbert and Mike Asiello--still light up 
the world of those of us coming from WW II. But right now, boys and 
girls, men and women are fighting for us in Iraq and around the world. 
We are so proud of them. They embody the same spirit of those older men 
and women, some of whom went off to war over 60 years ago.
  God Bless them--God Bless those who risk everything for this special 
country of ours.

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