[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20919]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    WYOMING'S WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President. I wish today to talk about a special 
group of people who live and work with us, side by side in our 
hometowns across America. The terrible days of the Second World War 
produced an entire generation of men and women who answered the call to 
duty to defend freedom and defeat tyranny in far off lands across both 
oceans. They left their homes and families, endured great trials, and 
gave so much of themselves for so many of us in the most difficult of 
circumstances.
  These brave men and women served in our Nation's darkest hour. And 
then they came back home. They went back to work, to school, bought 
homes, raised families, and continued to build our Nation. Today they 
are our friends and neighbors, our parents and grandparents, our fellow 
Americans. And we owe them such a tremendous debt of gratitude.
  Mr. President, on August 15, 2009, the State of Wyoming will dedicate 
its World War II Memorial at the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Park in 
Cody, WY. And I am honored to be here on the floor of the Senate to 
personally give thanks to the many men and women and their families who 
made such great sacrifices on our behalf during the terrible days of 
World War II.
  The memorial being dedicated and the ceremony itself required a major 
commitment on the part of those who worked to successfully complete the 
project. This includes veterans, their families, friends, admirers, and 
all of the people of Wyoming whose hard work and generous contributions 
made this memorial possible.
  The Wyoming World War II Memorial is a fitting tribute to all those 
of the Greatest Generation who gave so much for our country. It is 
because of them that we all live our lives in freedom and are able to 
exercise the rights guaranteed to us in our Constitution every day. We 
are the grateful beneficiaries of their sacrifices.
  My father was a veteran of World War II. He fought in the Battle of 
the Bulge. My wife Bobbi's father was in both World War II and Korea. 
My dad always told me that I should thank God every day that I live in 
America and how fortunate I was. He was right. This is the greatest 
country on Earth. And it is because of the brave actions of so many of 
our fellow countrymen.
  The Wyoming Congressional delegation had the privilege of greeting a 
group of Wyoming's World War II veterans on the National Mall this 
spring. They made the Wyoming Honor Flight trip to Washington from 
Wyoming to visit the World War II Memorial. Wyoming's World War II 
veterans are heroes in every sense of the word. They quite literally 
saved the world. Let Wyoming's new memorial be a monument of our 
endless thanks for all they have secured for us. All of Wyoming, and 
indeed America, says thank you.

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