[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6638-6639]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO LOUISIANA WORLD WAR II VETERANS

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I am proud to honor a group of 99 
World War II veterans from Louisiana who are traveling to Washington, 
DC, this weekend to visit the various memorials and monuments that 
recognize the sacrifices of our Nation's invaluable servicemembers.
  Louisiana HonorAir, a group based in Lafayette, LA, is sponsoring 
this Saturday's trip to the Nation's Capital. The organization is 
honoring each surviving World War II Louisiana veteran by giving them 
an opportunity to see the memorials dedicated to their service. On this 
trip, the veterans will visit the World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iwo 
Jima memorials. They will also travel to Arlington National Cemetery to 
lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns.
  This is the seventh flight Louisiana HonorAir has made to Washington, 
DC, and there will be two additional flights this spring.
  World War II was one of America's greatest triumphs, but was also a 
conflict rife with individual sacrifice and tragedy. More than 60 
million people worldwide were killed, including 40 million civilians, 
and more than 400,000 American servicemembers were slain during the 
long war. The ultimate victory over enemies in the Pacific and in 
Europe is a testament to the valor of American soldiers, sailors, 
airmen, and marines. The years 1941 to 1945 also witnessed an 
unprecedented mobilization of domestic industry, which supplied our 
military on two distant fronts.
  In Louisiana, there remain today more than 40,000 living WWII 
veterans, and each one has a heroic tale of achieving the noble victory 
of freedom over tyranny. Veterans in this HonorAir group began their 
service in 1938, before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and served in the 
European and Pacific theaters, as well as stateside. Some members of 
this group served as late as 1970. They served in various

[[Page 6639]]

branches of the military--28 members in the Army; 18 in the Army Air 
Corps; 37 in the Navy, including three SeaBees; three in the Naval 
Reserves; eight in the Marines; one in the Merchant Marines; and four 
nurses from various branches.
  Several of our heroes fought at Iwo Jima and others at Guadalcanal. 
Many of these veterans earned Purple Hearts, Bronze Star Medals, and 
Silver Stars. Some participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the D-
day invasion of France at Omaha Beach. Others defended the Atlantic, 
Pacific, and Asiatic-Pacific Seas. As a soldier with the Army 1st 
Calvary Division, one of our heroes was part of the liberation of Santo 
Tomas Prison Camp in Manila.
  I ask the Senate to join me in honoring these 99 veterans, all 
Louisiana heroes, that we welcome to Washington this weekend and 
Louisiana HonorAir for making these trips a reality.

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