[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H3576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING ARMED FORCES ON MEMORIAL DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the many men and 
women who sacrifice their lives every single day in support of our 
Nation as members of the armed services, both in times of peace and in 
war.
  In the last 2\1/2\ years since our Nation was attacked, the service 
of America's armed services has been on the front pages and news 
headlines across the country almost every single day. And this past 
weekend, we celebrated Memorial Day. We dedicated the World War II 
Memorial, and in towns across the country we had parades and moments of 
silence in honor of our armed services.
  My district was no different. In the City of West Covina and Monterey 
Park, I had an opportunity to give special recognition to American 
Legion Posts 790 and 397, who served this Nation with dignity and 
honor, as well as recognize the living World War II veterans that still 
live in the district.
  In El Monte, I shared Memorial Day with the Veterans of Foreign Wars 
Post 10218 and the Patriotic Commission on the Veterans and Homeless 
Commission.
  In Baldwin Park, in the district I represent, my community both 
celebrated the World War II veterans, those that fought and returned 
from Iraq, while also mourning the many soldiers that have given their 
lives over the past several wars.
  I was able to speak with Veterans of Foreign Wars and American 
Veterans from Post 113 during special events in the City of Irwindale 
and the City of South El Monte.
  Each city in my community recognized these men and women who served 
in many, many wars. With these fine groups, my community recalled with 
love and gratitude the 16.1 million men and women who served in World 
War II and remembered the 292,000 service members killed in action. 
They demonstrate daily why many of them are the Greatest Generation.
  Today, 5.7 million World War II veterans live in America. California 
alone has 475,000 of those World War II veterans that live in our 
communities.
  Just as we celebrate in honor of the greatest generation, we must 
also remember those fighting today in Iraq and Afghanistan. One hundred 
and thirty-eight service members were killed during major combat in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, and more than 662 since the end of the major 
combat of May 2003 have been killed.
  I am sad to address to mention the names of seven fallen heroes from 
my own district, two who recently lost their lives just 10 days ago 
from our area. My heart goes out to the families and friends of Marine 
Corporal Jorge A. Gonzalez; Army Sergeant Atanasio Haro Marin; Army 
Private First Class Jose Casanova; Marine Private First Class Francisco 
A. Martinez Flores; Army Specialist Leroy Harris-Kelly; Marine Corporal 
Rudy Salas, who died 10 days ago; and Lance Corporal Benjamin Gonzalez, 
who died 2 days ago.
  Their service to the community I represent and to the Nation will 
never be forgotten. During both peace and war, the service that these 
armed service members provide is something that we must all remember.
  Just as we send our service members off to battle, we should not 
forget the many in our communities, families who send their loved ones, 
who should not be denied any, any, service. We must indeed guarantee 
them full health care and benefits, adequate burial and bereavement 
service and support for the military families.
  I had several of the family members of the soldiers that I just 
mentioned who were not able to access services as easily as others of 
us who would have, because they have language barriers. They did not 
provide immediate interpretive services to immigrant soldiers and their 
families. Why is that? Why is there a double standard here? You can 
send your young ones to be killed to defend our country, and yet you 
cannot provide them the adequate attention that they so deserve.
  In addition, we were lucky this past year that the President signed 
into law an expedited citizenship process. It now takes 2 years to 
become a full U.S. citizen. You can put on the uniform, but after that 
it takes a great deal of time for that process to occur. We still do 
not have the process set up so that they can go ahead and actively 
begin to apply. We are talking about 50,000 currently eligible military 
personnel and reservists who would be eligible for this program. What 
are we doing to help ramp that program up, as we find every single day 
soldiers are coming back in coffins, and many with surnames like mine.
  I ask us to remember, yes, those that have defended our country, but 
let us keep intact those many young men and women who are currently 
serving us right now in our country. May God bless them and their 
families, and let us bring them home soon.

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