[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1528]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE BLUE STAR MOTHERS OF AMERICA CHAPTER #101 AND THE MARINES' 
                          MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 6, 2008

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, together with 
Representatives Miller, Stark, Tauscher and McNerney, I rise today to 
honor and thank the California East Bay Chapter of Blue Star Mothers of 
America and the Marines' Memorial Association. With the support of the 
Marines' Memorial Association and Major General Michael Myatt (Ret.), 
the Blue Star Moms are hosting their third event for Gold Star parents 
who have lost a child in service to our country.
  The East Bay Blue Star Moms was founded when Patty Martin, Peggy 
Conklin and Nancy Ecker reached out to each other for support after the 
September 11th attacks. Each had a son in the Army, and in November, 
2001, they established a support group for military mothers in the East 
Bay area. Membership has since grown to over 150 mothers, and they are 
affiliated with the national Blue Star Mothers of America. The East Bay 
chapter sponsors a variety of activities in addition to the Gold Star 
event, including providing care packages for troops stationed overseas, 
and Operation Post Card, connecting local community groups with 
soldiers abroad through letter writing campaigns. The moms have also 
taken their good works to veterans in our community through regular 
visits to the VA hospitals at Livermore, Palo Alto and Martinez.
  The Marines' Memorial Association in San Francisco was founded in 
1946 as a living memorial to all the Marines who had lost their lives 
in the Pacific during World War II. Since then, its mission has 
expanded to include all branches of the United States Armed Services, 
including members of National Guard and reserves, and the U.S. Merchant 
Marine. The Memorial is currently led by Major General Michael Myatt, 
USMC (Ret.). General Myatt has overseen the development of the Memorial 
as a facility that both honors fallen servicemembers and actively 
promotes the interests and needs of men and women currently in service.
  The third Gold Star Parent gathering will bring together hundreds of 
parents from all over California for a 2-day event to honor the 
families of the fallen and allow them to celebrate the lives of their 
children and mourn their loss. This event allows the families to come 
together in private and share their experiences with others who are 
experiencing the same loss. The Marines' Memorial Association provides 
the facilities and meals for the event at a considerably reduced cost, 
and additionally lends support to the participants throughout the 
weekend. The Blue Star Moms contribute an incredible effort to make the 
Gold Star event successful, including personally reaching out to all 
the Gold Star families in the state, and underwriting expenses for 
families who might not otherwise be able to make the trip.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, at this time it is appropriate that we 
thank the Blue Star Moms and the Marines' Memorial Association for the 
hard work and dedication they have shown to sponsor the Gold Star 
parents event. Their efforts have provided an important forum for these 
families to come together and the event is greatly appreciated by the 
families who have participated.

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