[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24079]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        MEDAL OF HONOR MEMORIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 5, 1999

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and take great 
personal pride in having the Medal of Honor Memorial in Indianapolis 
recognized as a National Memorial. My colleagues, by passing H.R. 1663 
today, we have designated as National memorials the memorial being 
built at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California; the 
memorial aboard the former USS Yorktown (CV-6) at Mount Pleasant, South 
Carolina; and the memorial at White River State Park in Indianapolis, 
Indiana, to honor the 3,410 recipients of the Congressional Medal of 
Honor.
  On May 28, 1999, the last Memorial Day weekend of the 20th Century, I 
joined my Hoosier colleagues Representatives Buyer, McIntosh, and Hill, 
Senator Bayh, Lt. Governor Kernan, Mayor Goldsmith of Indianapolis, 
IPALCO Chairman John Hodowal, and 98 of the 157 living Medal of Honor 
recipients to dedicate the Medal of Honor Memorial. Medal of Honor 
recipients Sammy L. Davis and Melvin Biddle joined us at the dais, 
representing their comrades-in-arms.
  The new memorial is located along the north bank of the Central Canal 
in White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis. It sits adjacent to 
Military Park, the site of the city's first recorded 4th of July 
celebration in 1822, which was used as a recruiting and training camp 
for soldiers from Indiana during the Civil War.
  It is at this fitting site that the local power utility, IPALCO 
Enterprises under the leadership of its Chairman, John Hodowal, who 
along with his wife, Caroline, and countless employees and volunteers, 
has erected this breathtaking memorial. Caroline Hodowal first read a 
newspaper article about the Medal recipients and then conceived the 
idea for the new memorial when she and her husband realized that none 
existed.
  Visitors to the site will see citations for each of the 3,410 medal 
recipients etched into glass walls. The twenty-seven curved glass 
walls, each between 7 and 10 feet tall, represent the 15 conflicts, 
dating back to the Civil War, in which uncommon acts of bravery 
resulted in the awarding of the Medal of Honor. Steps, benches, and a 
grassy area provide seating for visitors to rest, reflect, and view 
this magnificent memorial. Additionally, each evening at dusk, a sound 
system plays a thirty minute recorded account about a medal recipient, 
his story, and the act for which he received this Nation's highest 
military honor. As each story is told, lights illuminate the 
appropriate portion of the memorial to highlight the war or conflict 
being discussed.
  In the words of Mr. Hodowal, this memorial serves two purposes: 
``It's an opportunity to say thanks for the sacrifices [these men] 
made, and it's a chance to show the next generation what real heroes 
look like . . . to show that ordinary people sometimes do extraordinary 
things.''
  Mr. Speaker, Indiana has a proud tradition of honoring those who have 
sacrificed so much to secure and preserve our freedom. We must never 
forget that freedom is not free. Because of the selfless sacrifices of 
so many, we enjoy so much in America. I encourage all of my colleagues 
to visit Indianapolis, Indiana and see this newest addition to our city 
and State. It is something, I can assure you, that you will not soon 
forget.

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