[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 59 (Tuesday, April 24, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE VETERANS OF THE APRIL 24, 2012, QUAD CITIES HONOR FLIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID LOEBSACK

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2012

  Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today I have the great honor of welcoming 
veterans of the Greatest Generation to our nation's capital. 
Accompanied by volunteer guardians, these veterans from the Quad Cities 
have travelled to Washington, DC from Iowa and Illinois to visit the 
monument that was built in their honor.
  For many of these veterans, today will be the first time they have 
seen the National World War II Memorial. I am deeply honored to have 
been invited to join them when they see their memorial for the first 
time and to have the opportunity to personally thank these heroes.
  I am proud to have a piece of marble from the quarry that supplied 
the stone that built the World War II Memorial in my office. Like the 
memorial that it built, that piece of marble reminds me of the 
sacrifices of a generation of Americans. When our country was 
threatened, they rose to defend not just our nation but the freedoms, 
democracy, and values that make our country the greatest nation on 
earth. They did so as one people and one country. Their sacrifices and 
determination in the face of great threats to our way of life are still 
humbling and inspiring today.
  The sheer magnitude of what the Greatest Generation accomplished, not 
just in war but in the peace that followed, continues to inspire us 
today. They 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 country. 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 the veterans on the Quad City 
Honor Flight to our nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I 
represent, I thank them for their service to our country.

                          ____________________