[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 90 (Friday, May 26, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





         RECOGNIZING THE EXCELLENCE OF THE MARCHING CENTURIONS

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                            HON. MIKE GARCIA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 26, 2023

  Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
and congratulate Saugus High School's 2022-2023 Marching Band for their 
selection to represent California's 27th Congressional District in the 
National Memorial Day Parade held in our Nation's capital. Their 
designation as a distinguished participant in this year's festivities 
is a testament to not only their musical excellence, but their 
resilience through several years of challenges from which they have 
emerged stronger than ever.
  It is important to recognize that this distinction is one that very 
few marching bands across the United States have the privilege of 
touting, and it is certainly one that is earned rather than given. For 
years leading up to their participation in the National Memorial Day 
Parade, the Marching Centurions of Saugus High School have 
distinguished themselves as a benchmark of virtuosity and dedication to 
craft. Time and time again, students throughout the years have 
represented their fellow classmates with unmatched pride and skill and 
it is heartening to see this program be rewarded with such an honor.
  I also want to pay special recognition to band members who are 
graduating with the Class of 2023. Since they began high school in 
2019, their graduating class has faced a gauntlet of trials and 
tribulations that many of their contemporaries or even most adults have 
not. After the tragic shooting in November of 2019, they were 
immediately confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, and 
virtual learning which forced them to press on with rehearsals over 
Zoom. These challenges were of course coupled with the typical 
obstacles a teenager faces when navigating high school: homework, 
crushes, college applications and anxiety about the future. As their 
representative in the halls of Congress, I could not be prouder of 
their resilience in the face of the impossible. and the manner in which 
they relied on each other to overcome the odds.
  Once again, I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to the 
Marching Centurions for this great honor that they will have to 
commemorate our Nation's heroes who have been killed in the defense of 
freedom this weekend for Memorial Day. As a Saugus alumnus myself, my 
heart will swell with pride seeing these students clad in blue and 
silver marching along the streets of Washington to honor our great 
country.

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