[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E517-E518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE EASTERN IOWA HONOR FLIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID LOEBSACK

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 23, 2013

  Mr. LOEBSACK.  Mr. Speaker, today, over eighty Iowa World War II and 
Korean War veterans will travel to our nation's capital. Accompanied by 
volunteer guardians, they will visit the monuments that were built in 
their honor.
  For many, today will be the first time they will see the National 
World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. I am deeply 
honored to join them for their visit to the National World War II 
Memorial to personally thank these heroes for their service to our 
nation and to pay tribute to the incredible sacrifice that they made 
for our country.
  We owe these heroes a debt of gratitude. As a reminder of the service 
and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, I am proud to have a piece of 
marble in my office from the quarry that was used to build the World 
War II Memorial. Our World War II and Korean War veterans 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 both humbling and inspiring.
  The sheer magnitude of what the Greatest Generation accomplished, not 
just in war but in the peace that followed, continues to inspire us 
today. Their generation and our country 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, the Greatest Generation 
defended and then rebuilt our nation to make it even stronger. Their 
patriotism, service, and sacrifice not only defined their generation--
they stand as a testament to the fortitude of our nation and the 
American people. Their legacy endures today.
  I am tremendously proud to welcome the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight and 
Iowa's veterans of the Second World War and the Korean War to our 
nation's capital today. On behalf of every Iowan I represent, I thank 
them for their service to our country.

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