[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 163 (Tuesday, November 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14458-S14459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VETERANS DAY 2003
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 264, a sense-of-the-
Senate resolution regarding Veterans Day, which was introduced earlier
today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 264) expressing the sense of the
Senate regarding Veterans Day 2003.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, November 11 was originally known as
Armistice Day to celebrate the end of World War I. In 1938, Congress
declared November 11 a national holiday in the hopes that the world
would never ever again see a battle so fierce and so devastating as
that First World War, but that was not to be.
Only a few years later, World War II broke out in Europe. America
would lose 407,000 servicemen in battle. Henceforth, the movement began
to recognizes our heroes in uniform.
In 1954, President Eisenhower proclaimed November 11 Veterans Day. He
told the Nation at that time that it was his ``earnest hope that all
veterans, their organizations, and the entire citizenry will join hands
to ensure proper and widespread observance of this day.''
Today, nearly 50 years later, we join hands to pay tribute to that
very special group of people who have brought our country such honor,
whose courage and whose sacrifice have secured our
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liberty: the men and women of the Armed Forces; people such as Senator
Daniel Inouye, who fought so valiantly in World War II and earned the
highest award that can be bestowed, the Medal of Honor; Senator McCain,
who served with singular courage and sacrifice in Vietnam; Senator
Stevens, a World War II Air Force pilot, who earned two distinguished
Flying Crosses, two Air Medals, and the Yuan Hai medal from the
Republic of China. John Warner, Chuck Hagel, and Fritz Hollings are
also Members of this distinguished body who served in battle with honor
and with courage.
It is because of them and over 46 million veterans since our Nation's
founding that we are today free--free to debate in these Halls of
Congress, free to raise our families with the values that we choose. It
is because of the sacrifices of these special Americans that we have
the freedom to live as fully and as completely as our imaginations will
allow, to realize those blessings of liberty.
The last 2 years have put these blessings in stark relief. On
September 11, when our enemies struck, and the billows of smoke were
rising out of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon here in
Washington, DC, and in that pulverized plane on a Pennsylvania field,
we saw that determined face of evil.
But as clear as the blue sky above--and who will ever forget that
bright, stark, blue sky on that morning?--we saw the blessings of
liberty. We relearned that freedom indeed is precious and that freedom
must be defended.
Since that day a new generation of men and women have heard the
calling--so young yet so brave. They are taking the battle to the
enemy. The men and women in the Armed Forces are proving every day that
America is a courageous and a compassionate nation, and that our cause
is just.
We are blessed to have such heroes among us. Today we honor them as
well. We are working with the President to improve our veterans'
quality of life by securing the benefits afforded to them for their
service. Access to quality care is critical to our veterans. Veterans
hospitals have been the focal point of veterans' health care delivery.
We are also working to improve the hospital system to allow disabled
veterans to collect, over 10 years, the portions of their pensions that
they do not receive under current law. Veterans with combat-related
injuries and those who are considered 50-percent disabled would qualify
for these benefits. It is our intent to have this legislation enacted
this year.
For our future veterans, we have expanded funding to support our
troops. In the 2004 emergency Iraq-Afghanistan supplemental
appropriations bill, military personnel salaries and benefits were
increased to $17.8 billion for Guard and Reserve troops activated for
duty.
In addition, much of the funding in this supplemental appropriations
bill will be used to support military operations and provide needed
equipment to our troops overseas.
We are also working to help our fighting men and women by improving
veterans health care and the TRICARE program for our armed services.
The recently enacted supplemental bill increases TRICARE benefits to
thousands of members of the Guard and Reserve.
In these and other concrete ways, we are working hard to support
those whose serve us so ably. In doing so, we not only recognize their
contribution, we recognize the great purpose of our Nation.
In the midst of the Revolution, the great essayist Thomas Paine told
his fellow Americans:
These are the times that try men's souls. The summer
soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink
from the service of their country, but he that stands it now
deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Today we express our love and thanks to the men and women who have
stood to defend our freedoms in battles past, and to all of the
soldiers today in the field, I thank you. America thanks you.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to this matter be
printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 264) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 264
Whereas tens of millions of Americans have served in the
Armed Forces of the United States during the past century;
Whereas hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their
lives while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States
during the past century;
Whereas the contributions and sacrifices of the men and
women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United
States have been vital in maintaining our freedoms and way of
life;
Whereas the more than 700,000 brave Americans who have
sacrificed their lives while serving in the Armed Forces of
the United States have ensured that the Nation, which is
founded on the principles of freedom, justice, and democracy,
shall endure;
Whereas Armistice Day was first proclaimed by President
Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to commemorate the November 11, 1918,
armistice between the Allies and the Central Powers that
ended the fighting of World War I;
Whereas on June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower
signed into law the Act proclaiming November 11 as Veterans
Day (Public Law 83-380);
Whereas on October 8, 1954, in anticipation of the first
nationwide observance of Veterans Day in 1954, President
Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a presidential proclamation
regarding that Veterans Day which states that ``[o]n that day
let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who
fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign
shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us
reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring
peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain'';
Whereas on November 10, 2003, President George W. Bush
issued a presidential proclamation regarding Veterans Day
2003 which states that ``[t]oday, our veterans inspire new
generations of Americans as we work to defeat terrorism and
advance peace. In respect for and recognition of the
contributions our service men and women have made to the
cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has
provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year
shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor
veterans'';
Whereas in 2003 the Senate is in session on November 11
despite that date being a public holiday to honor veterans;
and
Whereas it is proper that the Senate observe the day with
appropriate tributes and commemorations even as it conducts
the Nation's business: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate--
(1) that the war dead of the Nation, and veterans of the
Armed Forces of the United States, alive or dead, are to be
honored for their contributions and sacrifices to preserve
the Nation and the principles of freedom, justice, and
democracy that all Americans hold dear;
(2) that Veterans Day 2003 shall be commemorated with
appropriate tributes to all veterans of the Armed Forces of
the United States for their contributions and sacrifices, and
most especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice; and
(3) that all Americans shall be encouraged to join the
Senate in honoring and paying tribute to veterans of the
Armed Forces of the United States, both on Veterans Day and
throughout the year.
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