[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 72 (Thursday, May 20, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5939-S5940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING WORLD WAR II VETERANS
Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, more than 60 years ago a generation of
Americans answered the call to service, leaving their daily lives and
joining the fight in a world war that would dramatically change the way
this country, and the world, conducted itself. Raised during the Great
Depression, this ``Greatest Generation'' would have such a profound
impact on our history that is almost impossible to overstate. Their
legacy is formidable and lasting.
Almost six decades later, we are finally paying full tribute to those
men and women, and this generation, who served and sacrificed their
lives in defense of this great Nation and who ultimately saved the
world from tyranny and tyrants. No doubt, those men and women and their
triumph over evil have served as a stark reminder and inspiration to
the men and women in uniform who have followed in their permanent
footsteps.
However, the presence of this generation was not limited to the
islands of the Pacific or the beaches of Normandy; it was also
displayed by those who remained in this country to mobilize the home
front during and after the war. No one can question the hard work and
dedication this generation embraced that ultimately pushed this nation
to the position of global economic, military, political, and social
leadership we still maintain today. Almost overnight, America moved
from isolation to a country of engagement.
Having learned this lesson well, America remained engaged with the
world after the war, struggling against the advance of communism, and
ultimately winning that battle.
I am proud of the role the citizens of my state played in these
struggles, and as such, I would like to take a moment to honor those
Idahoans who served and to those who lost their lives as a result of
World War II. Their strong commitment and dedication to their state and
to our country has not and will not go unnoticed. I am reminded of a
saying, ``For your tomorrow, we gave our today.'' This statement
embodies what this generation gave; but words can't fully describe what
the soldiers and survivors of WWII contributed to this nation, during
and after the war. That contribution changed the course, not only of
our Nation, but of the entire world. We continue to see the
repercussions of it today, and to be honest, I believe the effect will
continue to be felt long after all of us are gone. The official motto
of Idaho is ``Esto Perpetua,'' meaning ``May it last forever.'' Well,
the same could probably be said of the influence of this generation on
America.
Still, despite playing such a profound role in American history,
until this year, there was no monument or memorial in our Nation's
capital that honored the sacrifices of all World War II veterans. We
have monuments and memorials for Vietnam and the Korean War, as we
should. Just across the river in Arlington, there is the Iwo Jima
Memorial which honors the U.S. Marines who served in World War II. It
is a beautiful and fitting commemoration of the leathernecks' service
in that conflict but just that branch, not all the services.
This Memorial Day, we will dedicate, at long last, the National World
War II Memorial on the National Mall. I believe it is fitting that the
memorial should take its place alongside Lincoln, Jefferson and
Washington, in the place our nation comes to remember and honor the
greatest deeds in our great history. I thank our veterans for their
service, for guaranteeing my freedom and those of all Americans, and I
wish them a Happy Memorial Day.
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, this week marks the 50th anniversary of
Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that ultimately
ended legal segregation in schools and helped catalyze a better
education for all of America's children.
This landmark decision was the first significant action by an
institution of national government in the struggle for equality.
However, it would be naive to believe that Brown erased the hatred and
ignorance that black families faced when testing their rights to a
better education. One of the most dramatic examples occurred on
September 24, 1957 when President Eisenhower ordered federal troops to
Little Rock, AR to allow nine black children, the Little Rock Nine, to
attend the all-white Central High School.
Of her experience, Melba Pattillo Beals of the Little Rock Nine
recalls: ``I had to become a warrior. I had to learn not how to dress
the best but how to get from that door to the end of the hall without
dying.'' Her act of courage, and those of the other eight students who
integrated Little Rock Central, helped change history for all Americans
in a tale that continues to have immediacy.
Another one of those students was Ernest Green, who best explains why
the Little Rock Nine sacrificed their innocence for a chance at a
better education. He said, ``We wanted to widen options for ourselves
and later for our children.'' Mr. Green was the first black student to
graduate from Central High School. He later served as Assistant
Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs under President Jimmy Carter and
now serves as the vice president of Lehman Brothers.
Turning opportunity into achievement is what civil rights pioneer
Daisy Bates had in mind when she helped the Little Rock Nine break down
the barriers that stood between them and an equal education. Despite
threats on her life and financial ruin, Daisy Bates made significant
strides in the courtroom and increased public awareness through her
newspaper.
Mr. President, as a former student of Central High, I can tell you
the impact of the Little Rock Nine is still felt in the hearts of its
student body and teachers past and present. In 2007, Central High will
commemorate the 50th anniversary of its desegregation crises. The
National Park Service plans to build the Little Rock Central High
School Visitors Center in time for this watershed anniversary, and I
will be urging my colleagues to support funding for this endeavor later
this year.
What we know today is that children all over America have the right
to learn--whether their ancestors came to America on slave ships or the
Mayflower. What we know today is that we all benefit when we learn
together and work together for a common purpose. What we know today is
[[Page S5940]]
there are more black doctors, lawyers, judges and elected officials
than ever before. What we know today is that there is more equality and
more opportunity for all children.
But what we don't know, what we still question is whether we have
really achieved the inclusion, equality and diversity in our schools
that the Court intended when it struck down the ``separate but equal''
doctrine and required the desegregation of schools across America. I do
not believe we have met the promise of Brown yet.
I am concerned that many public schools in Arkansas and around the
country remain segregated by race and class, still unequal in regard to
performance and resources. Today, a fourth-grade Hispanic child is only
one-third as likely to read at the same level as a fourth grade white
child. Only fifty percent of African-Americans are finishing high
school, and only 18 percent are graduating from college.
We must do better, and President Bush and the Congress can do better
by keeping the promises made to parents and students when it passed the
No Child Left Behind Act. We must live up to this promise, and provide
every child access to a quality public education. Daisy Bates, the
Little Rock Nine and countless civil rights leaders did not endure
hardship and sacrifice for us to fail now.
Mr. President, on this landmark anniversary, let us stand together to
celebrate how far we have come. But let us also acknowledge the
problems that stand in the way to a better education for all children.
And let us commit ourselves to preparing our children for today's
expectations and tomorrow's challenges.
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