[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 17, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5800-H5801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CELEBRATING VETERANS DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last week on November 11, 
we celebrated Veterans Day, and I rise today to thank each and every 
one of the men and women who have donned the uniform of the United 
States military; to express my gratitude for the individuals who have 
served to secure and protect our most precious freedoms; to acknowledge 
the sacrifices that these brave Americans have endured to make America 
the country that it is today.
  In the Pentagon, in the stairwell to the office of the Secretary of 
Defense, there is a painting of a soldier in gear ready for deployment 
surrounded by family at the altar of a church.
  Accompanying that painting is a verse of scripture from the Holy 
Scripture from the Book of Isaiah. And it reads: ``Who shall I send? 
Who will go for me?'' In the painting, that is from the Gospel and the 
word of God. That painting communicates that our Nation's veterans have 
answered that call.
  Recently, I was approached about cosponsoring H.R. 2350, the Ghost 
Army Congressional Gold Medal Act. A 16-year-old young lady named 
Madeline reached out to my office to share the story of her great 
grandfather's service.
  Her great grandfather served in the Ghost Army during World War II. 
The Ghost Army was a tactical deception unit that sought to undermine 
the Axis Power efforts in Germany during the war.
  Madeline shared with me that there are two gentlemen from my district 
who served in the Ghost Army, Tom Ebeling from Bradford and Claude 
Blake from Patton.
  There are many fascinating stories from the Ghost Army that were kept 
secret for decades after the war. It wasn't until 1996 that this 
information was declassified, and their bravery could be shared with us 
all.
  I would also like to mention that Veterans Day took place during 
National Apprenticeship Week, and this is a great opportunity to remind 
everyone what incredible value veterans add to our workforce.
  Veterans exhibit proven leadership, higher retention rates, have the 
ability to work well under pressure, and they have a strong work ethic.
  Our veterans are highly trained and highly skilled. They deserve our 
support while deployed and when they return home. One of the best ways 
to do

[[Page H5801]]

that is to prepare them for the workforce outside of the military.
  I am a proud original cosponsor of the Veterans in Effective 
Apprenticeships Act, which instructs apprenticeship programs to account 
for a participant's competencies and prior experiences, including those 
gained during military service, among other things.
  Mr. Speaker, the best way to thank a veteran is to hire a veteran. 
The skills obtained during service are invaluable.
  In closing, I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude one last 
time to the men and women who have selflessly served our country in the 
United States military. They have put their lives on the line for us, 
and we are forever indebted to them for this sacrifice.

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