[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 77 (Friday, May 25, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E889-E890]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO THE ``WELCOME HOME'' VIETNAM VETERANS CELEBRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CHARLES A. GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 25, 2012

  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying 
tribute to the selfless service of the Memorial Services Detachment at 
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery who celebrated their 20th 
anniversary on December 17, 2011 of bringing honor and dignity to the 
burial services of our veterans.
  The Memorial Services Detachment is an all volunteer group composed 
of retired and former military service members who have committed 
themselves to ensuring that all military veterans interred at Fort Sam 
Houston National Cemetery receive proper burial honors. The Memorial 
Services Detachment provides a final gesture of honor to our nation's 
veterans at no expense to the veterans' families.
  The group was founded on December 17, 1991 to address the budget 
cutbacks that occurred in the late 1980s that caused the Department of 
Defense to restrict full military burial honors to individuals dying 
while on active duty and those who were fully retired. Since its 
inception, the Memorial Services Detachment has ensured that all 
deceased veterans' families receive the solace and comfort that these 
burial honors provide.
  The Memorial Services Detachment at Fort Sam Houston's continued 
service to our country has received national recognition from the 
Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania which bestowed the 
group with the George Washington Honor Medal for their adult community 
volunteer service. The Memorial Services Detachment was also honored as 
the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County's Volunteer of the Year 
in the military-community category in 2009.
  I would again ask you to join me in congratulating the Memorial 
Services Detachment at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on their 20th 
anniversary of service to our nation's veterans.

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