[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL VETERANS CEMETERY IN MARYLAND

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                     HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 16, 2003

  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill to 
direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national 
cemetery for veterans in Baltimore, Maryland, metropolitan area.
  We need little reminder today of the courage and sacrifice of our 
service men and women. Whether protecting us in past World Wars, in 
North Korea, Vietnam, or the Persian Gulf, or fighting today in the 
deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, our military has rarely questioned 
their mission to protect the freedoms and liberties we American 
citizens enjoy every day. In exchange for their service, we promised to 
take care of our veterans in life and in death. This bill addresses the 
most basic of those promises for our veterans of yesterday, today and 
tomorrow.
  Maryland has a long-standing tradition of military service and 
sacrifice dating back to the Revolutionary War--when the Old Line 
Soldiers were considered General Washington's favorite after saving the 
Continental Army from destruction as only the Marylanders were left 
standing. This historical tie was reinforced when the Secretary of the 
Navy established the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1845--a 
testament to Maryland's contribution to the future service of our 
nation.
  That tradition continues today with bases in Ft. Meade, Aberdeen, Ft. 
Detrick, and Andrews Air Force Base, just to name a few. Maryland is 
home to over 45,000 active, reserve and guard service men and women, as 
well as their families. And there are over half a million civilian 
veterans residing in the State of Maryland.
  Yet there is no longer federal or national cemetery space for first 
interments--for veterans who wish to have a casket burial. While there 
is state cemetery space, I stand here today on behalf of the veterans I 
represent, on behalf of their families, and on behalf of the veterans 
throughout my home state of Maryland to ask my colleagues to keep the 
national promise to all veterans. At the very least, we should offer 
choices to veterans between national and state cemetery burials. 
Families should not be forced to travel great distances to visit their 
loved ones.
  There are approximately 27 million veterans in the United Sites 
today--10 percent of our national population. And Roll Call on 
September 29, 2003, said that we are losing 1,500 veterans a day. It is 
for these brave veterans that I introduce this bill and ask my 
colleagues for swift passage.

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