[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1258-E1259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   URGING ALL AMERICANS AND PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONALITIES TO VISIT THE 
      NATIONAL CEMETERIES, MEMORIALS, AND MARKERS ON MEMORIAL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2009

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 360, ``Urging all Americans and people of all nationalities 
to visit the national cemeteries, memorials, and markers on Memorial 
Day''. I would like to thank my colleague Representative David Roe for 
introducing this resolution, as well as the co-sponsors.
  I do not believe there is a person in this body, or a person in this 
building, who does not feel a remarkable pride in the presence of the 
men and women who serve in our Nation's

[[Page E1259]]

military. Their incredible sacrifices and courage in the face of 
innumerable hazards have been critical to the preservation of the 
freedom, security, and prosperity enjoyed that we as Americans have 
come to love, enjoy, and even expect.
  Likewise, I do not believe there is a person in this body, or a 
person in this building, who does not feel an intense tragedy in seeing 
these men and women make the ultimate sacrifice--whether it is seeing 
the loss of such extraordinary Americans, or the immense pain and 
sympathy for their families and loved ones.
  When the United States has fought in wars outside and inside of its 
borders to restore freedom and human dignity, they were the ones who 
made the true sacrifices. The United States has spent its national 
treasure and shed its blood in fighting those wars.
  Our government has sought to do its part in honoring these brave men 
and women. The National Cemetery Administration of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs maintains 128 national cemeteries that serve as the 
final resting place for nearly 3,000,000 of these veterans and their 
dependents. Each year, millions of Americans visit these national 
cemeteries, memorials, and markers.
  Across the globe, we find similar efforts. Overseas sites annually 
recognize Memorial Day with speeches, a reading of the Memorial Day 
Proclamation, wreath laying ceremonies, military bands and units, and 
the decoration of each grave site with the flag of the United States 
and that of the host country.
  Wherever the proud fallen American soldier is honored, these splendid 
commemorative sites inspire patriotism, evoke gratitude, and teach 
history.
  My residents of my city, Houston, have long honored their veterans. 
Within city limits stands the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. It 
was awarded the Robert W. Carey Organizational Excellence Award in 
2005, the Robert W. Carey Circle of Excellence Quality Award in 2007, 
and re-designation for Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing 
Services in 2008.
  The MEDVAMC serves as the primary health care provider for more than 
120,000 veterans in southeast Texas and over 13,000 from Houston. 
Veterans from around the country are referred to the MEDVAMC for 
countless medical services, and their outpatient clinics logged nearly 
900,000 outpatient visits in fiscal year 2008 alone. All this in a 
state with over 1.7 million veterans, 247,000 of which are disabled and 
over 25,000 buried in her soil.
  There is another great example that comes to mind, of how my district 
has honored those who defend them. In Memorial Plaza, stands a pillar 
holding a stone globe; written on the pillar are several names of US 
soldiers, fallen in the Second World War, as well as a quote by Father 
Dennis Edward O'Brien, chaplain of the U.S. Marines:

       ``IT'S THE SOLDIER: When the country has been the need, it 
     has always been the soldier! It's the soldier, not the 
     newspaper who has given us Freedom of the Press. It's the 
     soldier, not the poet, who has given us Freedom of Speech. 
     It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us 
     the Freedom to Demonstrate. It's the soldier who salutes the 
     flag, serves under the flag and whose coffin is draped by the 
     flag who gives the protester the right to burn the flag. And 
     it's the soldier who is called upon to defend our way of 
     life!''

  That is why I proudly join my colleagues in strongly urging Americans 
and people of all nationalities to visit national cemeteries, 
memorials, and markers on Memorial Day. It is so that they may see 
words like these, even if it is only once a year, and know where the 
spirit of American generosity, sacrifice, and courage are displayed and 
commemorated.

                          ____________________