[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9929]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                               WOMEN VETS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Oklahoma (Ms. Fallin) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FALLIN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  With Memorial Day right around the corner, now is the time to reflect 
upon the courage, the dedication and the patriotism personified by the 
men and the women in our Armed Forces. I know many Americans will stop 
this weekend and will thank a veteran in their family or in their 
community for their service to our Nation. They may meet a young 
soldier back from a tour of duty in Iraq and may quietly just thank God 
that we are born in a Nation where freedom is valued and fought for.
  In our modern military, it is becoming increasingly likely that a 
returning soldier is a woman, and while men still outnumber women in 
the Armed Forces, military service is no longer a career choice for men 
only. Today, there are more women than ever choosing to serve their 
country. They are pilots, engineers, commanders of ships, military 
police, and nurses. Deployed in two different theaters, women are 
playing a vital role in our war efforts.
  Now more than 185,000 women have been deployed in support of 
Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and in other 
missions since 2001. Since its inception, women have played a vital 
role in defending our Nation and its freedoms. Whether it is in a 
hospital, in the tents of the revolution, in the shipyards of World War 
II or in the strategic combat positions they hold in our modern 
military, the contribution of women to our national defense is 
undeniable.
  Tomorrow, I will be honored to join several of my colleagues from 
this chamber as we lay a wreath at the Arlington National Cemetery to 
honor the more than over 350 women in uniform who have died defending 
this great Nation since World War I.
  In a few hours, we will be given the opportunity to honor these women 
and their significant contributions to our military when we vote on 
House Resolution 1054: Honoring the service and achievements of women 
in the Armed Forces and female veterans. By supporting this resolution, 
we can send a clear message to our women in the military and to our 
women veterans that your service is not forgotten nor is your courage, 
your patriotism nor your sacrifice. Today, we honor you all.

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