[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4270-H4271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bean) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, did you know that more than 40 
million Americans have served in the Armed Forces since our Nation's 
founding?
  From Yorktown to Gettysburg, from San Juan Hill to Saipan, from the 
Leyte Gulf to Tora Bora, America's sons and daughters have heroically 
answered the call to protect our precious

[[Page H4271]]

freedoms and defend the cause of liberty, both at home and abroad.
  Each one had a duty to serve, but our duty, Mr. Speaker, is to 
remember.
  On September 15, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we remember the 
more than 500,000 prisoners of war who endured the horrors of enemy 
captivity and faithfully served through severe suffering and 
incomprehensible trauma.
  We remember the tens of thousands of brave patriots who are still 
missing in action and have yet to return home safely to the warm 
embrace of their families and loved ones.
  This week, from sea to shining sea, thousands of ceremonies will take 
place in an expression of solidarity. Balloons will be released, and 
moments of silence will be held.
  Hundreds of thousands of Americans will gather to honor the lives and 
deeds of our greatest American heroes in church yards, national 
cemeteries, and town squares, and a black and white flag will fly 
proudly.
  All of this is good and fitting, but our patriots deserve a special 
place of honor because of their selfless dedication, unmatched valor, 
and unsurpassed devotion to our Nation's values.
  Mr. Speaker, that is why I have introduced legislation which will 
designate the POW/MIA Memorial and Museum at Cecil Field in my 
Congressional District in Florida as a national landmark to honor, 
connect, inspire, and educate the American people about prisoners of 
war and those missing in action.
  This memorial will give Americans a unique opportunity to honor the 
immense sacrifice made by our POWs and serve as a powerful reminder of 
the servicemembers whose fates are still unknown.
  Mr. Speaker, we will never be able to repay our debt to those who 
have given their last measure of devotion for the spirit of America, 
but we can continue to do our duty: To remember.
  On POW/MIA Recognition Day and every day, we, the people of the 
United States, with a grateful heart salute those who endured great 
dangers in the hands of the enemy and those lost in service to our 
Nation.


                 THE POWER OF PEOPLE AND POSSIBILITIES

  Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, think about the following motto: 
``The power of people and possibilities.'' It embodies a belief that 
everyone has something to contribute to our society and that meaningful 
employment helps people achieve the American Dream.
  I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to recognize the people that are committed 
to this goal, Challenge Enterprises of North Florida, and the 
AbilityOne program.
  Challenge Enterprises is an organization established in 1972 in Clay 
County, Florida, that presently employs--get this--more than 305 
constituents in my district.
  They employ over 100 people with disabilities as a result of the 
AbilityOne program, the largest employment program for persons with 
disabilities.
  I have been there, Mr. Speaker. I've seen firsthand how AbilityOne 
enhances the quality of lives. Work changes lives. That is what 
everybody should have; a reason to get out of bed, a reason to go to 
work.
  The program teaches hardworking individuals to load our Navy ships 
with provisions, to staff the IRS mailroom, to stock shelves, to pull 
grocery orders for our military personnel, to clean Federal buildings, 
and to maintain over 70 acres of grounds.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I thank the staff, 
employees, and volunteers of Challenge Enterprises and the AbilityOne 
program for helping my constituents in northeast Florida become 
productive, self-reliant citizens of their community and seeing the 
worth and value of every individual.

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