[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING PRESTON SHARP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG LaMALFA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 22, 2024

  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very special 
young man, Preston Sharp, for his passion, commitment, and 
accomplishments in honoring our nation's veterans.
  Preston is a resident of Shasta County, a loving son, and grandson 
with a heart of gold. His hard work and devotion to honor veterans in 
our community and our country will be felt for generations.
  On Veterans Day in 2015, when Preston was just 10 years old, he 
visited the grave of his grandfather, a Navy veteran, at a local 
Redding cemetery. He placed a flag and flowers on his grandfather's 
headstone to thank him for his sacrifice. As he looked around, he was 
troubled by the lack of flags and flowers at the gravesites of all the 
other veterans. With encouragement from his loving mother and 
grandmother, Preston used that compassion to make a positive change in 
the world. He set a goal, and in just 5 months, by doing odd jobs and 
chores, he had earned enough to purchase flags and carnations to honor 
all 500 veterans in that cemetery in Redding, California. This 
gratifying success prompted him to set another goal, to honor veterans 
in all the Redding cemeteries. He began speaking at local groups and 
organizations who enthusiastically donated to his worthy objective, 
seeing in this young boy with a passion to honor and appreciate those 
who served. Soon, Preston was honoring veterans in cemeteries all 
around our North State, throughout California, and beyond.
  Preston has organized the placement of more than one million flags 
and red carnations on veterans' headstones throughout the homeland. His 
crusades have inspired citizens in communities across the United States 
to participate in similar acts of patriotism and respect for veterans 
by coming out to clean headstones, replace weathered flags and flowers, 
and say ``Thank You'' to those that have served our country.
  Preston does not just honor our fallen veterans. He often visits 
veterans at the local veteran's home or takes them out to lunch and 
enjoys listening to their stories. His goal is clearly to honor and 
help all veterans in any way possible, as evidenced by his current 
initiative, to help prevent and spread awareness of veteran suicides, 
which has become a top priority.
  Preston's contagious ambition has spurred him to start other 
movements like the Flag and Flower Challenge to encourage everyone in 
the United States, especially youth, to honor veterans in their own 
hometowns. He also established Veterans Flags and Flowers, a non-profit 
organization with a vision to ``honor veterans across the country'' and 
a mission to ``honor veterans every day, not just the holiday''. As a 
teen member of the Sons of the American Legion, Preston helped inspire 
the Flying Flags for Heroes program and became their national 
spokesperson.
  Preston was invited to the White House and was honored with a seat 
beside the First Lady during President Trump's inspirational State of 
the Union Address in 2018. President Trump commended 12-year-old 
Preston Sharp for ``a job well-done'' and praised young patriots like 
Preston who teach all of us about our civic duties as Americans.
  Preston has been recognized and is supported by nearly every local 
club, organization, school, and business in northern California. He has 
been an honored guest, speaker and advocate at countless events, 
services, and fundraisers. He has been featured on the History Channel 
and highlighted social studies curriculum such as Inspire My Kids. He 
continues to collect accolades around the country for his work such as 
being awarded the title of Legacy Keeper by the U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs and is allied with the Wreaths Across America program.
  Preston's goal was to honor veterans in all 50 States which sent him 
travelling across the country, meeting veterans, visiting cemeteries, 
inspiring communities, and sharing the experience of planting flags and 
flowers along the way. Despite setbacks during the COVID-I9 shutdowns, 
on Veterans Day, November 11, 2022, Preston Sharp officially met his 
goal by presenting flags and flowers in honor of veterans in all 50 of 
our U.S. states. Quite a celebrated accomplishment.
  Preston is now planning on taking his cause overseas to Normandy for 
the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He will be placing 17,000 American flags 
and red carnation flowers at every gravestone, saying each veteran's 
name out loud, and thanking them for their service.
  This young man reminds us that we all have a sacred duty to honor and 
remember those who served and sacrificed for our nation, no matter how 
old we are.

                          ____________________