[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 87 (Friday, May 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and 
women of the Armed Forces who have fallen in the line of duty, 
protecting our country and serving this nation honorably. On Monday, I 
will have the high honor of speaking at Golden Gate National Cemetery 
where I will look out across the many rows of snow white headstones at 
the generations of brave men and women lost in service to our country.
  Memorial Day is a somber day of reflection, but it is also a day to 
celebrate the beliefs and ideals of America; not only do we remember 
those who embodied these ideals, but we must celebrate their lives and 
their willingness to sacrifice so that we might be here today.
  On Memorial Day sixty-five years ago, the future Chief Justice of the 
Supreme Court, Earl Warren, stood near the site that I will stand 
inaugurating this important memorial. These 161 acres are hallowed 
grounds that must be treated with the highest respect. For those of us 
who live and work in the Bay Area, a drive down the 280 is a constant 
reminder of how many of our family members, friends, and neighbors have 
had to sacrifice their lives for our freedom.
  Madam Speaker, the President bestows, in the name of Congress, the 
highest honor a member of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast 
Guard can receive for valiant actions in the line of duty. Fifteen 
people at Golden Gate National Cemetery have received the Medal of 
Honor and are interred with over 130,000 other courageous men and women 
of the Armed Forces.
  California has borne a large share of the burden that the Armed 
Forces have undertaken. Over two million veterans live in California 
and we have lost almost four hundred men and women in Afghanistan and 
Iraq. Right now there are over 20,000 Californians in these war zones, 
so on behalf of these brave soldiers I am committed to the view that 
Congress' first order of business must be to ensure that those who are 
in the line of fire are the most prepared and well-equipped. It is my 
solemn oath that none of the men and women in harm's way should lie 
here before it is their time.
  Madam Speaker, I will go to the podium with mixed feelings; it is a 
high honor to be able to go to Golden Gate National Cemetery on 
Memorial Day and share my thoughts with many veterans from around the 
Bay Area. It is impossible to express how important the sacrifices made 
by these men and women are to this country. One thing is certain: 
America would not be the great country it is without them.
  This Memorial Day I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute 
to all members of the Armed Forces, especially those who have paid the 
ultimate sacrifice for their country.

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