[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 77 (Friday, June 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING KAREN SCHOENFELD AND LACROSSE ROADS SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 3, 2004

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, rise today to recognize Karen Schoenfeld and 
all of the faculty and students at La Crosse Roads School, which is a 
high school in my district in western Wisconsin. The students and 
faculty at the school are performing a great service to our country and 
deserve our praise and recognition.
  Four years ago, after listening to my father and uncle talk about 
their experiences serving our country overseas, I realized that our 
Nation needed to record the valuable stories of our veterans and those 
Americans who supported them. And it was this simple experience that 
led me to author the Veterans Oral History Project Act. After passing 
the House and Senate unanimously and being signed into law by President 
Clinton, the project was turned over to the able staff at the Library 
of Congress's Folklife Center. This small but dedicated staff relies 
heavily on volunteers to collect the stories of veterans, and La Crosse 
Roads School has risen admirably to this challenge.
  Partnering with the local Rotary Club, of which Karen is a member, 
the students and faculty at La Crosse Roads have taken on the task of 
contacting and interviewing veterans and submitting their interviews 
for inclusion in the Veterans History Project. The interaction between 
these high school students and our Nation's veterans has been 
an amazing one to watch. The teenagers tell me that they have never 
before been interested in history; by hearing our veterans' stories 
first-hand, they are not only interested, but they also feel that they 
are a part of preserving an important part of American history. They 
are making a significant contribution to our country and get enormous 
satisfaction from doing so. The veterans, some of whom have never 
talked about their experiences before, feel gratified that their 
stories are important to others. The excellent work done by Karen and 
the students has been aided by the National Court Reporters, led by my 
wife Tawni, who are transcribing the interviews. In all, the work that 
Karen and the students have done has been incredibly successful. They 
are an excellent example of the kind of partnerships that make the 
Veterans History Program a national success.

  Karen is truly a remarkable person who brings her enthusiasm and 
energy to the classroom working with these ``at-risk'' students. There 
is no half-effort or lower gear for Karen, and that is reflected in the 
success her students achieve. She not only has had her students 
involved with the Veterans History Project for the past three years; 
she has also worked with the local CESA office to develop a website and 
lesson plan for other teachers and students to use for the project. And 
every year Karen teams with a WWII veteran, Bill Bruring, to have an 
awards ceremony in La Crosse to recognize the students and particularly 
the veterans. It is a very moving and patriotic ceremony that I have 
had the pleasure of attending.
  Many of us were lucky enough to be on the Mall this past weekend and 
visit with some of the veterans who were here for the dedication of the 
National World War II Memorial. It was truly inspiring to talk to these 
great men and women, who had sacrificed so much and have a great deal 
to teach us. I believe that Karen and her students have learned many 
important lessons from our veterans, and I would like to end by reading 
a poem Karen wrote that beautifully expresses the experience she and 
her students have had with the veterans:

                      I Never Saw Your Face Before

     I never saw your face before.
     I never knew your name.
     But now our paths have crossed
     And I will never be the same.

     I never saw the flag before.
     Not really, not its soul.
     I only saw the stars, the stripes,
     a fabric on a pole.

     Now as I gaze upon the flag
     I can see young faces.
     All called away from our proud land
     to other distant places.

     They did what they were called to do.
     They put their dreams on hold.
     They knew that others needed them.
     They did what they were told.

     And you, my friend, have taught me this--
     the sacrifices made.
     You helped me know what I have earned
     From the price that others paid.

     I've been in class, I've read the books.
     I've seen the movies too.
     But now I know our freedom's price--
     All this I've learned from you.
     Karen Schoenfeld

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