[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E712-E713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE VETERANS OF THE MAY 21, 2013 EASTERN IOWA HONOR FLIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID LOEBSACK

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 21, 2013

  Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, today, ninety 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

[[Page E713]]

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.

                          ____________________