[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, as we enter the twilight of the 
Twentieth Century, we can look back at the immense multitude of 
achievements that led to the ascension of the United States of America 
as the preeminent nation in modern history. We owe this title as 
world's greatest superpower in large part to the twenty-five million 
men and women who served in our armed services and who defended the 
principles and ideals of our nation.
  Before we embark upon the Twenty-First Century, the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars (VFW) will celebrate an historic milestone. On September 
29, the VFW will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the organization's 
founding. For over one hundred years, the VFW has supported our armed 
forces from the battlefields to the home front. From letter-writing 
campaigns in WWI to ``welcome home'' rallies after the Persian Gulf War 
to care packages sent to Bosnia, the VFW continues to take pride in 
supporting American troops overseas.
  The VFW's support for our nation's armed forces has been exemplary 
over the last one hundred years, but it is the VFW's work with our 
nation's veterans that has been most impressive. The original intention 
of the VFW, in fact, was to ensure that the veterans of the Spanish-
American war would not be forgotten and that they received medical care 
and support in return for their service and sacrifice. The VFW's motto, 
``Honor The Dead By Honoring The Living'', resonates to this day and 
will carry forth into the next century. Since organizing the first 
national veterans service office in 1919, to today's nationwide network 
of service offices, the VFW provides the assistance veterans need in 
order to obtain much-deserved benefits.
  To celebrate this prestigious occasion, a resolution, S. J. 
Resolution 21, has been introduced in the United States Senate 
designating September 29, 1999 as ``Veterans of Foreign Wars of the 
United States Day'', and the President of the United States is 
authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon all 
Government agencies and the people of the United States to observe the 
day with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities. I am a proud 
cosponsor of this resolution which honors the VFW's recognition of 
military service and remembrance of the sacrifices made in our nation's 
defense. I feel this resolution presents an opportunity to recognize, 
honor, and pay tribute to the more than 2,000,000 veterans of the armed 
forces represented by the VFW, and to all the individuals who have 
served in the armed forces
  Throughout my service in Congress, I have long appreciated the 
leadership of both the South Dakota VFW and the Ladies Auxiliary for 
their input on a variety of issues impacting veterans and their 
families in recent years. Their insight and efforts have proven very 
valuable to me and my staff, and I commend each and every one of them 
for their leadership on issues of importance to all veterans of the 
armed forces. I was honored to have theVFW's strong support when I 
offered my amendment to increase veterans health care in this year's 
budget to $3 billion. Even though it wasn't the full amount of my 
amendment, the final Budget Resolution contained a $1.7 billion 
increase above what the Clinton Administration had requested for 
veterans health care. This never would have been possible without the 
grassroots support of the VFW.
  Mr. President, as Americans, we should never forget the men and women 
who served our nation with such dedication and patriotism. I close my 
remarks by offering my gratitude and support for all the achievements 
performed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. For a century, this 
organization has been the standard bearer in the representation of our 
veterans, as well as their undying patronage to our armed forces and 
support for the maintenance of a strong national defense.

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