[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 186 (Thursday, November 9, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO VETERANS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 9, 2023

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to all the men 
and women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States and 
risked their lives to defend our freedoms and way of life and took and 
lived the oath to ``support and defend the Constitution of the United 
States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.''
  Our Veterans have borne ``true faith and allegiance to the same, an 
obligation they took freely, without any mental reservation or purpose 
of evasion.''
  Veterans are truly heroes walking among us.
  I want to thank all of our armed servicemen and women for their 
selfless dedication to our protection every day.
  Veterans Day is a reminder to all of us who live in freedom that as 
President Kennedy said, ``The price of freedom is high, but Americans 
have always paid it.''
  This Veterans Day is a welcome opportunity to remember the fallen who 
gave the last full measure of devotion to their country on battlefields 
around the world--in places whose names may be unforgettable--or 
locations that have slipped into the pages of history.
  We will never forget:

       Revolutionary War--Valley Forge; York Town;
       Civil War--The Battle of Antietam; The Battle of 
     Gettysburg;
       World War I--The Battle of Argonne; Flanders Field; Verdun;
       World War II--Pearl Harbor; Battle of Bataan; The Battle of 
     Midway; D-Day; Battle of the Bulge; Battle of Anzio; Battle 
     of Corregidor;
       Korean War--Inchon; Heart Break Ridge; Pork Chop Hill;
       Vietnam--Tet Offensive; Battle of Hue;
       Desert Storm--September 11, 2001; Pentagon Attack (125 
     killed);
       Operation Enduring Freedom; Battle of Kandahar;
       Operation Iraqi Freedom; Second Battle of Fallujah; 
     Operation Allies Refuge; Operation Allies Welcome.

  The memory of the fallen is never forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, each Veterans Day, Americans come together to remember 
those who have served our country around the world in the name of 
freedom and democracy.
  The debt that we owe to them is immeasurable.
  Their sacrifices, and those of their families, are freedom's 
foundation.
  Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
marines and Coast Guardsmen and women and their families, our country 
would not live so freely.
  I offer my deepest gratitude to our nation's 1.4 million troops and 
reservists, their families, and the 16.2 million veterans, including 
22,809 here in the 18th Congressional District.
  16.2 million brave men and women are veterans of our nation's 
military service.
  This includes more than 1.7 million women, 2.7 million African 
American men and women, 1.32 million Hispanic men and women, 342,000 
Asian American Pacific Islanders, and 113,000 American Indians.
  Of the veteran population in the country, 1.5 million veterans call 
Texas their home.
  We use Veterans Day to show our veterans and military families how 
important they are to us and how grateful we are for them each day.
  November is National Caregivers Month to show our caregivers how 
grateful we are for them.
  It is only fitting that we thank those caregivers who serve our 
military today.
  5.5 million spouses, parents, children, and other loved ones care for 
our wounded warriors and 15 percent of caregivers spend 40+ hours a 
week providing care for our military families.
  As a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland 
Security, I care deeply about our veterans.
  In Congress, I have sponsored many legislative proposals and co-
sponsored more than 50 pieces of legislation that will positively 
benefit our veterans and their families.
  Including H.R. 232, the Real Justice for Our Veterans Act of 2023, 
which looks to prioritize veterans court treatment programs, ensuring 
equal access for women, as well as racial and ethnic minorities who 
have served.
  Additionally, I introduced H.R. 236, which would create a ``Battle 
Buddy Check Week,'' meant to provide outreach and education, as well as 
peer wellness checks for Veterans.
  On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldiers behind.
  As a Nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we will 
leave no veteran behind.
  This day and every day, let us honor their service with actions that 
fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our 
veterans--and that are worthy of our grateful Nation.

                          ____________________