[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 134 (Tuesday, September 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     SUPPORTING AMERICAN LEGION DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 2009

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 679, Supporting the goals and Ideals of American Legion Day.
  The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, 
war-time veteran's organization, devoted to mutual helpfulness.
  The American Legion has been a guardian of our national ensign, and 
the first ``Flag Code'' was drafted during a conference called by The 
American Legion in Washington, D.C. The code eventually was adopted by 
Congress in 1942. And today, the Legion is at the forefront of efforts 
to gain a constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from 
physical desecration.
  The American Legion's voice has been instrumental in establishing the 
Veterans Administration, then later advocated for it to become a 
cabinet level department, creating a GI bill, and fighting for 
compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans 
diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome.
  The American Legion became the largest single contributor to the 
``Vietnam Wall'' in Washington, DC--its members collectively donated $1 
Million dollars.
  And today, the American Legion is a strong advocate for today's 
servicemen and women returning from the battlefields of Iraq and 
Afghanistan--assisting combat wounded veterans receive compensation for 
their injuries and helping to create a 21st Century GI Bill.
  The reason that we are free today is because brave men and women have 
answered our Nation's call in our time of need. They have sweated, bled 
and sacrificed for our freedom.
  And as it is written on the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C, 
freedom isn't free--the cost is readily apparent in the rows of crosses 
in Arlington, where many generations of American warriors have been 
laid to rest.
  We owe our veterans a debt that can never be fully repaid, but I 
personally want to thank them for your service and sacrifice. I will 
continue to work to ensure that our veterans get the care, help, and 
benefits they so richly deserve.
  Let us remember our obligations to our Nation's veterans, as Abraham 
Lincoln said in his Second Inaugural Address, ``to care for him who 
shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.''
  The American Legion has been there for our Nation's veterans for over 
90 years, and I'm proud to support this resolution, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.

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