[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20726]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1415
                     THE AMERICAN GOLD STAR MOTHERS

  (Mr. GUTKNECHT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Madam Speaker, The American Gold Star Mothers Group 
was incorporated in 1929. On June 23 of 1936, President Franklin Delano 
Roosevelt issued a proclamation designating the last Sunday in 
September as Gold Star Mothers Day. To this very day, Madam Speaker, 
Gold Star Mothers Day is the last Sunday in September. Unfortunately, 
over the last several years Americans have forgotten about that.
  So at the request of some of my constituents, I introduced a 
resolution. It is being sponsored in the Senate by Senator Tom Coburn 
from Oklahoma encouraging all Americans to recognize this very 
important day.
  The Gold Star Mothers is a group that no one joins voluntarily. You 
must have lost a son or a daughter in combat to become a member of the 
Gold Star Mothers Association.
  This resolution is important, and we will vote on it tomorrow. I 
currently have over 200 co-sponsors, and I would encourage other 
Members to join. The dedications and triumphs of the Gold Star Mothers 
stem from a shared bond. As they describe it, and I close: ``The 
success of our organization continues because of the bond of mutual 
love, sympathy and support of the many loyal, capable and patriotic 
mothers who while sharing their grief and their pride have channeled 
their time, efforts and gifts into lessening the pain of others. We 
stand tall and proud by honoring our children, assisting our veterans, 
supporting our Nation and healing with each other.''

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