[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 135 (Tuesday, September 13, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S5531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MAINE MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS PROGRAM

 Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I recognize the contribution 
of the Maine Military Funeral Honors Program of the Army National 
Guard. The soldiers in this exceptional program perform military honors 
at the funerals for Maine's fallen warriors and veterans. They pay 
tribute to the men and women who have served our Nation, and provide 
comfort and dignity to the families during their time of loss.
  On August 27, the Maine Military Funeral Honors Program performed its 
seven thousandth military funeral, a duty they have carried out since 
October 2004. Since that time, approximately 30 highly skilled and 
carefully selected soldiers of the Maine Military Funeral Honors 
Program have performed funerals for all of Maine's soldiers who have 
been killed in action, as well as funerals for veterans of every era, 
including one in July 2010 for a Civil War Veteran, William Wallace 
Clark, whose remains were recovered in July 2009 from an unmarked grave 
beside that of his wife. The team performed 424 military funerals in 
its first year, and this year they will perform over 1,300--sadly more 
than 3 funerals per day as our World War II veterans are leaving us.
  The soldiers of the Maine Military Funeral Honors Program proudly and 
respectfully render final honors for our fallen heroes, both past and 
present, from Fort Kent to Kittery, in the sweltering heat or the 
bitter cold. They never break military bearing and conform to the same 
exacting standards that are expected of all honor guards across the 
country, including those at Arlington National Cemetery.
  The Maine Military Funeral Honors Program provides services to 96 
percent of the Army veteran population in the State of Maine, a 
remarkable achievement unmatched by any other State. This year, the 
program will likely achieve 100 percent. As they continue to meet the 
growing number of requests to honor those who have answered the call to 
serve, I continue to be impressed by this exceptional program's 
dedication to honoring Maine's fallen Army veterans. On the occasion of 
their seven thousandth military funeral, it is an honor for me to pay 
homage to those who provide final honors to the best Maine and America 
have to offer.

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