[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 59 (Tuesday, April 24, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E629-E630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE VETERANS OF THE APRIL 24, 2012 EASTERN IOWA HONOR FLIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID LOEBSACK

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2012

  Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today, eighty-six Iowa veterans of the 
Greatest Generation have travelled to our Nation's capital. Accompanied 
by twenty-seven volunteer guardians who have also served our country in 
uniform, they have travelled to Washington, DC to visit the monument 
that was built in their honor.
  For many if not all of the Iowans who will be here today, this will 
be the first time they have seen the National World War II Memorial. I 
can think of no greater honor than to be there when they see their 
memorial for the first time and to personally thank each of them for 
their service to our Nation. They truly are Iowa's, and our Nation's, 
heroes.
  I proudly have in my office a piece of marble from the quarry that 
supplied the stone

[[Page E630]]

that built the World War II Memorial. That piece of marble, just like 
the memorial that it built, reminds me of the sacrifices of a 
generation that, when our country was threatened, rose to defend not 
just our Nation but the freedoms, democracy, and values that are the 
foundation of our great country. They did so as one people and one 
Nation. Their bravery and resilience still inspire us today.
  The sheer magnitude of what they accomplished, not just in war but in 
the peace that followed has stood as an inspiration to every generation 
since. The Greatest Generation did not seek to be tested both abroad by 
a war that fundamentally challenged our way of life and at home by the 
Great Depression and the rebuilding of our economy that followed. But, 
when called upon to do so, they defended and then rebuilt our Nation. 
Their patriotism, service, and great sacrifice not only defined their 
generation--they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our Nation.
  I am tremendously proud to welcome Eastern Iowa's veterans to our 
Nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank 
them for their service to our country.

                          ____________________