[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 173 (Thursday, November 8, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H13392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING OUR VETERANS--VETERANS DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this coming week we will celebrate Veterans 
Day. As we remember the many who have given their lives in service to 
our Nation, I hope we pause not only to honor their memory, but also to 
express our gratitude for that which their sacrifices have secured.
  The many American veterans that we honor today are a reflection of 
American greatness. The men and women of our Armed Forces throughout 
our Nation's history have not hesitated to make tremendous personal 
sacrifices for the cause of freedom. If it were not for our brave and 
selfless veterans, we would be a land of fewer freedoms and smaller 
liberties.
  Throughout our history, our veterans have gone to foreign shores to 
fight the forces of injustice and tyranny. Today, many live in freedom 
thanks to their great sacrifices.
  Our veterans are the first and the finest example of the American 
hero. They have preserved our peace and they have held back the tide of 
darkness when the call has sounded to protect our liberty. And these 
men and women have done and continue to do these things with a sense of 
duty that has never shirked the great sacrifices, but instead, upholds 
the mantle of democracy with strength and pride.
  On Veterans Day, we rightly single out the members of our Armed 
Forces, past and present, and give them the honor that they do not ask 
for, but that they so richly deserve.
  I do not say this lightly, that our veterans are the primary forces 
that keep and have kept the vision of America alive throughout the 
centuries. Ours is a vision of freedom for all, a vision of a land 
where any man or woman can breathe free and lay hold of prosperity, 
secure in the knowledge that their brave and selfless soldiers, 
sailors, marines, airmen and coast guardsmen have proven that our cause 
is worthy of the most profound of sacrifices.
  We must not take our freedoms lightly. They have been purchased with 
the blood and sacrifice of many patriots. These patriots have answered 
the call to service, knowing that a life without liberty is hardly 
worth living.
  They've shown us that our freedoms are invaluable and priceless 
beyond the paltry dividends of a life under the shadow of tyranny or 
fear or repression.
  We have much to be grateful for in this Nation. Our freedoms are many 
and our sacrifices are few in comparison to what our veterans willingly 
give up. And these sacrifices are made on our behalf so that we might 
enjoy a liberty that is unrivaled throughout human history.
  It is therefore a tremendous pleasure to honor the men and women who 
saw the value of freedom and grasped the threat of tyranny and did not 
shrink into the twilight. As Thomas Paine said of our freedom on the 
eve of the American Revolution: ``The sun never shined on a cause of 
greater worth.''
  I thank our veterans for recognizing this cause and rising to its 
defense with unfailing strength. Our gratitude is tribute to your great 
bravery and profound sacrifice.

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