[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11363]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ON THE OCCASION OF MEMORIAL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 1, 2004

  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, this Memorial Day we pay tribute to those 
who have given their lives in defense of our great Nation. The freedoms 
we enjoy here at home do not come cheap. They are paid for with the 
blood and treasure of true American heroes.
  Today we reaffirm our commitment to the liberties they fought to 
defend. And we pledge never to forget their sacrifice.
  This year, Memorial Day has a special poignancy. Here in Washington, 
veterans of the Second World War finally received the monument they so 
richly deserved. The World War Two Memorial dedicated on the National 
Mall provides a fitting tribute to a generation of young men and women 
who defended the United States against the specter of a tyranny as 
horrible as any the world has known. The 400,000 Americans who gave 
their lives in the European and Pacific theaters will never be 
forgotten.
  In addition, this Memorial Day is special because it affords us an 
opportunity to honor the young men and women who are currently engaged 
in the War on Terror. Halfway around the world, a new generation has 
been called to battle. And like those that defeated our enemies in the 
1940s, this new generation of Americans has faced the enemy with 
strength and determination. Almost 1,000 men and women have lost their 
lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those of us who enjoy the freedom they 
have sacrificed to defend should be immensely proud and eternally 
grateful.
  This weekend, as we take a moment away from our normal routines, let 
us say a prayer and remember both those who have gone before us and 
those who continue to defend freedom from oppression. Our thoughts 
should be with those families that have lost loved ones in battle. And 
our thanks should go to all those who honor us by taking up arms to 
defend the United States.
  God bless our men and women in uniform. And God Bless America.

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