[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10501-10502]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           MONUMENT IN TRIBUTE TO ``THE GREATEST GENERATION''

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the dedication of the long overdue World 
War II Memorial is a moment in time that we will always remember.
  I am so pleased that many Vermont veterans from the WWII will be on 
hand for this solemn, and triumphant, occasion.

[[Page 10502]]

  No monument--even one so grandly placed as this gleaming tribute in 
stone is, between the Washington and Lincoln Monuments--can fully 
capture the full enormity of the service and sacrifice of the 16 
million soldiers, sailors, airmen and others who served in uniform 
during those 5 years of war and struggle. Yet with its marble expanse, 
majestic pillars, and carefully chiseled engravings, this memorial will 
forever stand as a symbol of the Nation's appreciation for those who 
served and for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
  World War II was truly an epic struggle. It was a struggle that would 
determine the very direction of humanity, whether militarism and Nazism 
would supplant freedom and democracy. Every American soldier understood 
the purpose and the stakes of that war. They unwaveringly answered the 
call to duty, they won the war, they returned home, and then the 
greatest generation soldiered on further to also win the peace.
  We in Vermont often pride ourselves on our healthy skepticism of 
centralized government. Yet we are early and arduous in rallying to the 
Nation's defense in disproportionate numbers to our relatively small 
population, from the Civil War onward. In World War II nearly 50,000 
men from the State of Vermont fought the axis powers. More than 1,200 
Vermonters lost their lives in the war. At home and overseas, Vermont 
women also made great contributions to the war effort, and 1,400 of 
them served with our armed forces.
  Today a new generation of veterans is being minted. I have had the 
honor of meeting many of the young men and women who are serving in 
Afghanistan and Iraq. These soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines tell 
me time and time again that they look over their shoulders to take 
pride and courage in the examples set by our World War II veterans, as 
well as our veterans from more recent wars.
  On behalf of all Vermonters, as an American citizen, and as a member 
of one of several grateful generations, I welcome our proud veterans to 
Washington on the occasion of the dedication of the World War II 
Memorial. We thank you for all that you have done, and our Nation will 
forever honor your sacrifices.
  We cannot thank you enough, but we can, and we will, always remember.

                          ____________________