[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9620-9621]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           MEMORIAL DAY 2006

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute to those men 
and women of the United States Armed Services who have given their 
lives to defend our Nation and the ideals it represents.
  Numerous times in the history of our Nation, the men and women of our 
Armed Forces have been called upon to defend the freedom we hold so 
dear. Sadly, many of those brave individuals never returned to the 
homes and families they selflessly left behind. Today, we honor their 
sacrifice and ensure that we as a nation will never forget the debt of 
gratitude that is owed them.
  New Mexicans have a long and notable history of military service. 
During the Spanish American War, New Mexico guardsmen served with Teddy 
Roosevelt and his Rough Riders at the Battle of San Juan Hill. New 
Mexicans of the 1st Infantry Regiment fought with the 40th Infantry 
Division in France after the U.S. entered the First World War. While 
participating in the Italian campaign of the Second World War, new 
Mexicans of the 104th Tank Destroyer battalion were awarded 8 Silver 
Stars, 60 Bronze Stars, and 135 Purple Hearts. Of course no one will 
forget the contribution Navajos from my home state made as ``code 
talkers'' or the bravery of the ``New Mexico Brigade'' in the 
Philippines during World War II. During the Vietnam War, the l88th 
Tactical Fighter Squadron of the New Mexico Air National Guard flew 
over 6,000 combat sorties and amassed over 630 medals and decorations 
before its release from Federal active duty in June 1969. These are 
just a few examples of the distinction with which New Mexicans have 
served our Nation. From the swamps of Cuba to the jungles of Vietnam 
and the deserts of Iraq, many New Mexicans have given their lives on 
behalf of America, and for these reasons on Memorial Day we honor these 
brave men and women.
  We must never forget the sacrifices of our solders, sailors, airmen 
and marines. I encourage New Mexicans and all Americans on this 
Memorial Day to take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and 
women who have fallen in our defense. I ask that New Mexicans think of 
them and their families, and give thanks that we are blessed with such 
heroic men and women.
  On this Memorial Day, let us not overlook the men and women of our 
armed forces who since September 11, 2001 have been called away from 
home to fight the Global War on Terror. Many of these individuals are 
National Guardsmen like the members of Task Force Phoenix serving in 
Afghanistan, the 1116th Transportation Company serving in Iraq and Task 
Force Cobra serving in Kuwait. I would like to thank them and all the 
men and women of our State who have returned from previous deployments 
overseas. Not only have they made their family and state proud, they 
have made their country proud as well.
  Today I would like to make special mention of those New Mexicans of 
the active and reserve military who have given their lives in Operation 
Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terror. They, like Americans of 
generations past, answered the call to defend this great Nation from 
those who would do it harm. In the spirit of the efforts put forth by 
such individuals, it is imperative America forever remain the land of 
the free and the home of the brave.
  Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, Memorial Day is a time for solemn 
remembrance and reflection. We remember the brave men and women who 
gave their lives in defense of our Nation. At cemeteries and memorials 
across America, in tributes both public and private, we gather to honor 
those who died in service to our country. On May 12, members of the SGT 
John Rice family of Winnebago, NE, paid final tribute to his wife 
Evelyn who was buried at Arlington National Cemetery next to her 
husband. The history of John and Evelyn Rice serves as an important 
reminder of the sacrifices soldiers and their families make in defense 
of freedom.
  Sergeant Rice, a Winnebago Native American, was born on Nebraska's 
Winnebago reservation in 1914. After high school, he began looking for 
an opportunity outside of reservation life. He found that opportunity 
by serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Rice received a Purple 
Heart after being wounded and was discharged from the Army in 1945. 
Rice reenlisted in the Army in 1946, and among the many duties Rice 
performed were escorting the bodies of war casualties being brought 
back to the U.S. to be buried.
  Rice's service again brought him into battle in 1950 during the Korea 
war, where he was killed in combat early in the conflict. It wasn't 
until almost a year later that his body was finally returned home to 
Winnebago. Evelyn arranged for the burial to be at Memorial Park 
Cemetery in Sioux City, IA, because it was close to the family and near 
Winnebago.
  Sergeant Rice's funeral proceeded as planned on August 28, 1951. It 
wasn't until after Evelyn and the family left the funeral service that 
cemetery personnel discovered that Rice was Native American. Evelyn was 
told that Sergeant Rice's burial would not be completed due to a 
cemetery rule that only Caucasians could be buried there. In an effort 
to try and solve the situation, the cemetery personnel proposed to 
Evelyn that she could sign a document stating that Rice was Caucasian 
and they would finish the burial. Evelyn rejected that offer and later 
stated that, ``When these men are in the army, they are all equal and 
the same. I certainly thought they would be the same after death . . 
.''
  Two military officers who were present at the funeral alerted Army 
officials in Washington of the funeral's disruption. The day after 
Rice's funeral, news of what happened reached President Harry S. 
Truman, and he offered Evelyn a space for her husband to be buried at 
Arlington National Cemetery. Evelyn accepted the President's offer and 
arrangements were made a few days later for a ceremony to take place at 
Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. Sergeant Rice is 
believed to be the first Native American soldier to be buried in 
Arlington National Cemetery.
  Evelyn Rice passed away last year at the age of 83 and was buried 
earlier this month next to her husband at Arlington National Cemetery. 
Her courage in refusing to accept anything less than respect and honor 
for her husband's service and sacrifice is an example all Nebraskans 
can be proud of. Evelyn Rice embodied the best of America's spirit by 
standing up to injustice during a very difficult time for her and her 
family, community and country.
  We must be vigilant in our efforts to remember the sacrifices of 
those we honor on Memorial Day. I authored a Senate resolution, which 
is now law, to

[[Page 9621]]

observe a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time each 
Memorial Day. Reserving this moment to reflect on Memorial Day is one 
way to honor those who died in service to our country. I ask everyone 
to join me this Memorial Day in honoring America's fallen heroes and 
their families, like SGT John and Evelyn Rice, and thank all those who 
have served their country in uniform.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, Memorial Day is a day we have set aside to 
remember those who have given their lives--``the last full measure of 
devotion''--in service to our country.
  As President Abraham Lincoln looked out across the cemetery at 
Gettysburg, he honored the sacrifice of the soldiers who had died there 
and how their sacrifices preserved the Union and advanced the cause of 
freedom.
  For more than 200 years, men--and later, women--have donned the 
uniform and met the many challenges of serving our great Nation and the 
ideals on which it was founded. Countless numbers of them have paid the 
ultimate price--and we honor them today.
  Our freedom was not free. It was bought and paid for by the 
sacrifices of generations that have gone before. We honor these heroes 
for their courage and for ensuring that our own freedom is more than a 
dream--that it is indeed a reality.
  Those who fought in our country's Civil War are long passed. And many 
of those brave men who served in our World Wars too have passed. 
Members of what we fondly call the ``greatest generation'' are leaving 
our midst in record numbers, and we mourn their passing--these brave 
men who liberated so many from tyranny. They are gone, but they 
certainly are not forgotten.
  Memorial Day is not merely the opportunity for a 3-day weekend. It is 
our duty--indeed, it is our privilege--to reflect on the sacrifices 
that have paid the price for our freedoms.
  We must also acknowledge the heroism and sacrifice of our brave men 
and women currently serving in the Armed Forces. I know I speak for the 
people of my State of Texas, and for all Americans, when I thank our 
soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines--and their loved ones waiting 
patiently at home--for their service and their dedication to duty.
  As a member of the Armed Services Committee, it is my job and my 
honor to look after the interests of all of our military personnel. We 
must ensure that the military continues to have the tools it needs to 
remain the most powerful fighting force the world has ever known.
  Our Texas military bases are some of the strongest components of our 
military readiness in the current global war against terror. These 
valuable assets help to maintain our status as the world's lone 
superpower, even as we transform our military to face the challenges of 
the future.
  Soldiers are not just numbers or statistics. These are real 
Americans. True patriots. They have real families. When someone leaves 
home to fight for American interests abroad, it affects their entire 
community; it affects their friends and, most profoundly, it affects 
their families.
  And so while we must remember the sacrifices of the brave men and 
women who fight on the battlefield, we must also be mindful of the 
sacrifices of those they leave behind--and so on behalf of a grateful 
nation, I thank them today, as well.
  The difference our military is making in the world is undeniable. 
Just a short while ago, the idea that the Iraqi people could live free 
was a concept that many would not treat seriously. But the Iraqi people 
are forging ahead and have formed a unity government and are firmly 
embracing the opportunities that freedom provides.
  I wish there were more balance in this discussion about Iraq. There 
are so many good things happening there--so many good things. And 
largely, unfortunately, they are left unreported.
  Recently, Jack Kelly, former marine, Green Beret, and deputy 
assistant secretary of the Air Force during the Reagan administration, 
highlighted some of these important stories--for example, the account 
of marine Sgt Rafael Peralta, who has been posthumously recommended for 
the Medal of Honor.
  I quote: ``Sgt. Peralta was killed on Nov. 15, 2004, during the 
second battle of Fallujah. His squad was clearing a house. Sgt. Peralta 
was the first into a room where at least three insurgents lay in 
ambush. He was shot in the chest and the face, but still had the 
presence of mind to jump into an adjoining room to give the marines 
behind him a clear field of fire.
  Four marines maneuvered into the room where Sgt. Peralta lay when an 
insurgent tossed a grenade into it. Sgt. Peralta pulled the grenade to 
him and smothered it with his body, saving the others from death or 
serious injury.
  Sgt. Rafael Peralta died for a country he loved, but of which he was 
not yet a citizen. A Mexican immigrant who lived in San Diego, Sgt. 
Peralta enlisted in the marines the day he received his green card.
  ``Be proud of being an American,'' Sgt. Peralta had written to his 
younger brother in the only letter he ever sent him.
  While this is only one story, there are hundreds more that should be 
acknowleged.
  In recent correspondence, Iraqi Freedom veteran Major Mark McDaniel 
of the 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth wrote these words: ``Our 
efforts there in providing security enabled these courageous people to 
work through the sectarian issues that existed . . . I believe that 
this weekend has vindicated our presence and our sacrifices in Iraq. I, 
and the other members of the 301st Fighter Wing . . . believe in our 
mission there.''
  And we here at home believe in our men and women in uniform--in their 
courage and the cause of freedom they defend. We must always remember 
our Nation's heroes and live in a manner worthy of their sacrifice.

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