[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8813-8814]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


               MEMORIAL DAY 2011 SPEECH BY ASHLEY SZATALA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 7, 2011

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to place in the Record the 
Memorial Day address offered by a rising star in our district in Ohio. 
Ashley Szatala, a student at Sandusky St. Mary's High School, presented 
her remarks during the Memorial Day 2011 opening ceremony in Sandusky. 
The following is Ashley's Memorial Day 2011 speech and the ceremony 
program.

       Over the last few weeks, hundreds of volunteers have placed 
     flags at the graves of our Nation's soldiers. Many local 
     communities lined their streets with flags in honor of 
     Memorial Day. Hundreds of you this morning gathered at the 
     roadside waving a small American Flag as parade participants 
     passed by. The flag goes wherever our leaders go. It has gone 
     before soldiers in battles and is draped atop the casket of 
     fallen heroes. For over 200 years the American flag has been 
     the symbol of our Nation's strength and our unity. The Stars 
     and Stripes--as we affectionately refer to it--stands for the 
     ideals we hold true--liberty, equality, and freedom. Its 
     history tells the story of perseverance by our Nation's 
     veterans as they fought in defense of our liberty.
       The most poignant moment in our Nation's history was made 
     on January 1, 1776. Before laying siege against the British 
     army, General of the Continental Army, George Washington, 
     commanded that the Grand Union Flag be raised. Since that 
     historic raising of our Nation's flag it has been a constant 
     companion to our troops in times of war and peace. On June 
     14, 1777, the U.S. Congress proposed the ``Flag Act,'' which 
     introduced the American Flag as a prominent symbol of our 
     nation. The original flag was decorated with 13 red and white 
     stripes, and adorned with 13 stars amidst a blue background 
     at the top left corner of our flag. The number 13 represented 
     the 13 original colonies. After a series of changes from 
     1777-1960 to the original design, the final look of the 
     American flag consisted of 13 alternating red and white 
     stripes, and 50 white stars surrounded by a blue background. 
     The 50 stars represented the 50 United States.
       Since its inception, the American flag inspired Francis 
     Scott Key to compose our Nation's anthem, The Star Spangled 
     Banner. Like many other American citizens of the day, Key 
     worried that the American flag would not be flying over Fort 
     McHenry during a battle in the war of 1812. Overcome with joy 
     to see the flag of new America, he wrote the song that we 
     hold dear to our hearts today. Since then, the American Flag 
     has journeyed to foreign lands during the World Wars, Korea, 
     Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars. It has stood as a beacon 
     of light as our brave men and women fought against oppression 
     and tyranny. Today, the American Flag is one of the most 
     revered and respected symbols in America. However, it is not 
     just a piece of cloth, but a symbol of liberty and freedom. 
     In fact, its colors of red, white, and blue have rich 
     symbolism.
       A review of that rich symbolism will help you understand 
     why it is only fitting that an American flag stands beside 
     each grave of our fallen heroes. The color red stands for the 
     hardiness and valor. Our servicemen and women are hardy. They 
     are strong in the face of danger. Their collective strength 
     is not measured by how much muscle they have, but by how 
     strong and resilient their heart is. They demonstrate valor 
     as they defend liberty, justice, and freedom against the 
     enemy. They demonstrate personal bravery and courage far 
     beyond what the rest of us will ever be called upon to 
     exhibit.
       White in the American flag refers to purity. Our great 
     country remains pure in its ideals. Those ideals of liberty, 
     justice, equality, and freedom have held strong through the 
     years and never wavered. Our veterans and active servicemen 
     and women have rallied around these ideals and have fought 
     and sacrificed everything for the sake of these ideals. These 
     ideals continue to be gifted to every American citizen. Their 
     sacrifice gave us all these gifts so today we owe them our 
     sincere gratitude for such.
       Last, the color blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance, 
     and justice. Vigilance is an enduring quality of our military 
     men and women, and our veterans. Throughout the world, they 
     have remained vigilant in their service of protecting the 
     liberty and freedom of American citizens. Perseverance means 
     one never gives up. How true of our service men and women. 
     Despite the terrible conditions of war, they never gave up on 
     the ideals for which they were fighting for. They fought to 
     keep America free and safe for generations of American 
     citizens. Without their vigilance and perseverance, America 
     would not be the great country it is today. Each day, school 
     children recite the words, ``With liberty and justice for 
     all,'' when they say the Pledge of Allegiance. What this 
     means is that America upholds the ideals of pursuit of life, 
     liberty, and happiness. Anything that threatens these ideals 
     is perceived as a threat to justice. It's not us, the average 
     citizen, who eliminates the threat, but our country's service 
     men, women, and veterans who stand up and fight for justice 
     for all.
       So hold high the flag and its colors. Her story is one of 
     freedom. Through the years, our military has rallied around 
     her and fought and sacrificed so much. They have fought to 
     keep us free. The flag unites us all under her majestic 
     colors.
       So, as we are gathered here today, take a look around you. 
     The flowers that decorate the grave sites will one day wither 
     and die. The engraving on the headstones will eventually 
     fade. The sound of Taps will linger silently through these 
     trees. But the one thing that will forever remain, year after 
     year, is the American flag, waving valiantly over the graves 
     of our fallen heroes. Thank you.

       Memorial Day, May 30, 2011, 9:00 A.M., Ohio Veterans Home


    the ohio veterans home and the sandusky memorial day association

               Memorial Day Ceremony--Ohio Veterans Home

       Mistress of Ceremonies: Linda L. Johnston, OVH Volunteer 
     Coordinator
       Invocation: Rev. Paul Birmingham, OVH Chaplain
       Star Spangled Banner: Combined Bands
       Presentation of Grand Marshals: Steve Matune, OVH Deputy 
     Superintendent
       General Order #11: Matthew Burr, Civil War Union Soldier 
     re-enactor
       Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: Jaz Bluhm, Howard N. Kautz 
     (WWII Paratroop, 17th Air Division) Family Scholarship Award 
     Recipient
       Placing of Tributes: Veterans Organizations
       Armed Forces Medley: Combined Bands
       Student Speaker: Ashley Szatala, St. Mary's Central 
     Catholic High School
       America the Beautiful: Combined Bands
       Benediction: Fr. Edward M. Czech, OVH Catholic Chaplain
       Salute to the Dead: OVH Rifle Squad, Commanded by Arthur 
     Weisz
       Taps: Christa Widman & Victoria Downey, St. Mary's Central 
     Catholic High School
       Combined Bands under the direction of Brian Panetta, St. 
     Mary's Central Catholic High School

                    Memorial Day Parade Participants

       Ohio State Highway Patrol; Erie County Sheriff; AMVETS 
     Riders; OVH Police Department; St. Mary's Central Catholic 
     Band; AMVETS Post 17 Color Guard; Grand Marshal Eugene 
     Fitzthum; Grand Marshal Paul Mettert; Grand Marshal Fred 
     Ferdindansen; Grand Marshal Jack Ferdindansen; Grand Marshal 
     Ruth Singler; Grand Marshal Linda Johnston; AMVETS Ladies 
     Auxiliary; Sons of AMVETS; OVH Road Soldiers Cycling Club; 
     OVH Senior King & Queen; Erie County Veterans Service Office; 
     Boy Scouts of America; Local 744 Carpenters Union; Erie 
     County Relay for Life; Salvation Army; United States Border 
     Patrol; Marines Forever; Disabled American Veterans Chapter 
     16; Catholic War Veterans Post 1905; Sandusky Transit System; 
     United Indians of Ohio; Don Likes 1955 Truck; St. Stephens 
     UCC & Kiddie College; Firelands Habitat for Humanity; Kids 
     Care Clubs of the Volunteer Center; DAR Martha Pitkin 
     Chapter; Erie Metro Parks; Girl Scouts of NE Ohio; Erie 
     County Jr. Fair Royalty; Tom's Cruz Limousine Service; Erie 
     Co. Firefighters Assn.; Perkins Fire Dept.; Perkins Police 
     Department; Perkins High School Band; Veterans of Foreign 
     Wars; VFW Auxiliary; Dads of VFW; VFW Youth Baseball League; 
     Lake Shore Corvettes; Knights of Columbus; Firelands 
     Patriots; Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Erie-Seneca Counties; 
     Double S Industries; YMCA Twirling Amp'd; Sandusky Fire 
     Dept.; Sandusky Police Department; Sandusky High School Band; 
     American Legion Color Guard; American Legion Riders; King 
     Baer Productions 1929 truck; Elks Lodge 285; in memory of 
     Bernie Wilson 1978 F150; Calvery Baptist Church Kidettes 
     Baton

[[Page 8814]]

     Corps; Friends of Pipe Creek Watershed; Volunteers of 
     America; Freedom Institute; John Snoble 1957 Pontiac; Randy's 
     Balloons; Kandi-Land Stables.
       Thousands of men and women have died so you can attend this 
     event as a free person in a free land.
       As our American Flag passes in review, or is presented, our 
     veterans ask you to please honor those veterans who have 
     given their lives by showing respect for the flag in the 
     following manner:
       Cover your heart with your right hand. If you are wearing a 
     hat or cap, with your right hand, place it at your left 
     shoulder with your right hand covering your heart.
       A Special Thank you to the Exchange Club of Sandusky for 
     their years of support and dedication. Each year they 
     distribute the American Flags to parade viewers.

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