[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FALLEN HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, every year on the last Monday 
in the month of May, our Nation gathers together to remember and honor 
those who have so honorably served our country. We memorialize those 
who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and for the values 
we cherish so deeply.
  The sacrifice a soldier makes is always in our hearts and minds, but 
this Memorial Day we have a special remembrance. This year, in addition 
to all of those brave men and women who have perished in wars past, we 
honor the 120 soldiers in Operation Enduring Freedom and nearly 800 
soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom who have lost their lives. Let us 
pay special tribute to these soldiers, who served their country with 
valor, and whose sacrifices we will never forget.
  On this day, we also commemorate two important anniversaries nearly 
upon us. June 6th with mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day forces 
landing on the beaches of Normandy. As a result of the bravery, skill, 
and determination of the heroic Americans who served in World War II, 
the invasion was successful and led to the eventual destruction of a 
totalitarian Nazi regime and the liberation of millions of enslaved 
peoples in Europe. It is fitting that today many of the ``Greatest 
Generation'' gather in Washington, D.C. to dedicated the new World War 
II Memorial on the grounds of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
  And June 22nd will mark the 60th anniversary of the Servicemen's 
Readjustment Act of 1944--what we now know as the GI Bill of Rights. We 
are reminded this year, by those currently returning from operations 
abroad and by the anniversary of this celebrated bill, of the 
importance of caring for our veterans as they return home. The GI Bill 
of Rights was one of many promises we have made to those serving our 
country, and one of many we must keep. We must not falter in our 
promise to provide veterans with quality healthcare upon their return. 
We must ensure that when veterans pass, their widows--who also 
sacrifice so much as spouses of our soldiers--receive the benefits they 
we've promised them. And we must provide the foundation for our 
veterans to continue leading healthy and productive lives upon their 
return, in the form of home loans, vocational rehabilitation, 
educational benefits, and more.
  I want to also take time to honor our troops from New Mexico that 
have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan: Senior Airman Jason 
Cunningham of Carlsbad; Army Specialist James Pirtle of Carlsbad; Air 
Force Special Operations pilot Captain Tamara Archuleta of Albuquerque; 
Marine Private First Class Christopher Ramos of Albuquerque; and Marine 
Corporal Aaron Austin of Lovington. I want to acknowledge these 
soldiers on their bravery and for representing not only our country, 
but also the state of New Mexico. They have truly made their families, 
their state, and their Nation proud.
  Throughout our Nation's history, our armed forces have been on the 
front lines fighting for our lives with their own. We must never take 
for granted the freedoms for which they fought, and we will never 
forget the meaning of the ultimate sacrifice.

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