[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN TOUCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANICE HAHN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 2015

  Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sons and Daughters in 
Touch (SDIT) on its 25th anniversary. The sons and daughters of 
servicemen and women who have died or gone missing in action while 
serving in the United States military are known as Gold Star children. 
Nearly 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War, many of their fathers 
and mothers are still unaccounted.
  SDIT was founded by Tony Cordero, whose father died during the 
Vietnam War. Tony wanted to find others like him who had lost a parent 
in battle, and since its founding, SDIT has been dedicated to locating, 
uniting, and providing support to Gold Star children as well as other 
family members whose relatives have died or remain missing as a result 
of the Vietnam War. Prior to the founding of Sons and Daughters in 
Touch, in 1990, there was no organization to support those who lost 
their parents during the war. This organization currently represents an 
estimated 20,000 sons and daughters in the United States.
  SDIT will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on Father's Day, Sunday 
June 21, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The United 
States of America Vietnam War Commemoration will recognize Gold Star 
sons and daughters and their families who lost their loved ones during 
the war for their service and sacrifice. Representatives from all Gold 
Star families, including those from Korea, WWII and recent conflicts, 
will participate in the event.
  As a nation, we must pay tribute to the generations of children whose 
parents suffered the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation. I ask my 
colleagues to stand here with me in upholding our shared responsibility 
to comfort and care for the loved ones and communities these servicemen 
and women left behind. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring our 
nation's sons and daughters and the many contributions their parents 
have made for our country by supporting this resolution.

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