[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 58 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE ACT TO PROVIDE MEMORIAL MARKERS FOR THOSE WHO DIED WHILE SERVING 
                                OVERSEAS

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                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 2005

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce a bill that will 
help families memorialize those who died in service to our country and 
are buried in cemeteries overseas. According to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, those servicemembers whose remains are classified as 
``unavailable for burial'' are eligible for government-provided 
memorial markers or headstones. While this classification includes 
those whose remains have not been recovered or who were buried at sea, 
there is one glaring exception to this definition--those who died 
fighting for freedom abroad and were laid to rest there.
  The United States currently has 24 permanent overseas burial grounds 
that are the final resting place for nearly 125,000 of our bravest men 
and women who died serving our country. These sites are the 
responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission and are a 
wonderful tribute to those buried there. However, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs maintains that because these graves can be visited, 
there is no need to provide families at home with a memorial marker for 
their deceased loved ones.
  We should not deny these families the ability to obtain memorial 
markers when we already do it for so many others. To correct this, my 
legislation will add overseas burials to the VA's ``unavailable for 
burial'' classification and finally let these men and women be 
memorialized by their families here at home.




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