[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Pages 27632-27633]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              VETERANS DAY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, tomorrow is Veterans Day, the day we 
set aside to honor the service and sacrifice of the heroic men and 
women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. America remains a 
beacon of freedom throughout the world today because of commitments and 
sacrifices they have made. Over the years, many brave Americans donned 
their country's uniform to ensure we would remain safe and free at 
home. That effort continues today as our fighting forces courageously 
defend freedom from threats in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere 
around the world.
  My own State of Kentucky has a proud military history, and today is 
home both to Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, which together house 
thousands of soldiers. Many have gone from vital training at these two 
posts to protecting our Nation in the heart of the fight in Afghanistan 
and Iraq.
  So tomorrow, as America takes a moment to thank these brave men and 
women who fought to preserve our way of life and to remember the heroes 
who did not return home, we will also give thanks for the men and women 
in uniform who are currently in harm's way.
  I might say, every Veterans Day I remember my own father, who served 
in World War II. He arrived in Europe after the Battle of the Bulge and 
was there until his unit met the Russians in Pilsen. One of my 
treasured possessions is a letter he wrote to my mother on V-E Day. 
They called it V-E Day at the time. He wrote ``V-E Day'' at the top of 
the letter. That began a series of correspondence in that period right 
after the cease-fire and the Germans' surrender in which he had at one 
point prophetically--and this was just a foot soldier--prophetically 
mentioned to my mother after his experience interacting with the 
Russians in Pilsen that they were going to be a big problem down the 
road. I thought it was quite noteworthy that a regular foot soldier 
sort of instinctively understood at the moment that the Russians were 
an ally of convenience in World War II and not a long-term ally.

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  Regretfully, both my mother and father are no longer living, but I do 
remember them fondly and reread their correspondence from time to time 
of that period when he was overseas.
  Later today, the Fort Hood community will honor the victims of the 
tragic shootings there last week. We were all shocked by the assault on 
American soldiers right in the heart of a post they call home. We mourn 
their loss, and we pray for the victims and their families.
  In the midst of this terrible tragedy, we also saw the courage of 
many troops and civilian law enforcement, and we thank these brave men 
and women for their dedication that they showed in putting themselves 
in harm's way.
  So we honor every American who has fought for this country, and we 
recognize this country was built on what they have sacrificed.
  I yield the floor.

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