[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11381]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             FALLEN HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CHARLES W. STENHOLM

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our military 
troops fighting for liberty in Iraq and Afghanistan. As we celebrated 
Memorial Day this past weekend, it is fitting to remember not only 
those heroes who have passed on, but also those who promote freedom 
around the world today.
  I also want to take this opportunity to remember the fine young men 
of the 17th District of Texas who made the ultimate sacrifice for us 
all in Iraq and Afghanistan. They made the ultimate sacrifice in 
defense of freedom and liberty, and I extend my condolences to their 
families and loved ones. Today I honor:
  Lt. Nathan White of Abilene, Texas;
  Chief Warrant Officer Scott Jamar of Granbury, Texas;
  Sgt. Roy Wood of Graham, Texas;
  Lt. Doyle Hufstedler of Abilene, Texas;
  Lance Corporal Elias Torres of Grape Creek, Texas;
  Staff Sergeant Rene Ledesma of Abilene, Texas.
  These men are patriots, and I salute them and thank them and their 
families for their priceless sacrifice.
  This Memorial Day, we were especially aware of the sacrifices made by 
the Greatest Generation, those men and women who fought and won the 
most important war in our history. Last weekend, we opened a memorial 
to these brave men and women in a prominent location on the National 
Mall in Washington, D.C., in a grand setting that befits the strong and 
indomitable nature of these true heroes.
  The veterans of World War II earned their greatness through their 
blood and sacrifice for a global conflict that destroyed the ambitions 
of tyrannical regimes. Our soldiers' dedication to country, to freedom, 
and to duty persevered over frightening threats to our society and way 
of life.
  The Greatest Generation fought against these threats with the best 
qualities that America had to offer--courage, strength, determination, 
resourcefulness, fearlessness, and independence. They fought against 
those who would steal our freedom and replace our way of life with 
blind obedience enforced by secret police and fear. Today's soldiers 
are fighting an enemy with similar goals. Our soldiers are fighting an 
enemy that would take our freedoms through acts of terror and fear. But 
these enemies cannot defeat our indomitable spirit and our love of 
freedom. Our enemies cannot and will not defeat us.
  This is not the first time that the United States and her allies have 
gone into a country representing freedom. As we remember the Greatest 
Generation we certainly recall the epic D-Day Invasion during World War 
II when we asked our military--today's distinguished veterans--to place 
themselves in danger to liberate Europe from the occupation of Nazi 
Germany. We did not ask for much in return when our troops were 
victorious.
  And our World War II troops did not ask for much from America when 
they returned home. Most of them did not return to hometown parades, 
they just returned to their everyday, pre-war lives, even though they 
had not seen their loved ones in several years. In return for all they 
had given up, they simply came home, desiring that the world would 
remain free. We helped Europe, the West, and Japan rebuild under 
democratic principles, and today we see the fruits of that labor. We 
have the golden opportunity to do that for Iraq, to help them rebuild 
into a free country after years of tyranny.
  I give my thanks, respect and gratitude to today's military who will 
be tomorrow's veterans. These individuals represent the long and 
distinguished tradition of our armed forces as exemplified by the 
Greatest Generation. Our current service men and women can look to 
those who came before them as examples of honor and courage, the very 
lifeblood and creed of the military, and the principles that will 
always carry the United States to victory.

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