[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10962]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE MEN AND WOMAN WHO TRAVEL WITH THE NATIONAL 9/11 FLAG

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL H. MICHAUD

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2011

  Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize those who travel 
around the country with the National 9/11 Flag.
  During the cleanup of the World Trade Center disaster, a large 
tattered flag was pulled from the rubble. It was brought by the New 
York Says Thank You organization to Greensburg, Kansas, a city 
recovering from a devastating tornado. Volunteers from New York, along 
with Greensburg residents, began stitching the flag back together with 
flags recovered from the Greensburg tornado.
  The flag now serves as a symbol of American resilience and 
compassion. It is carried around our country by a core group of 
volunteers. These patriotic men and women sacrifice their time and 
travel at their own expense to bring this great flag to millions 
throughout our Nation. Over 160 million Americans have seen the flag in 
person or on television. The flag is brought to public events, town 
gatherings and cultural and sporting events. At these venues, American 
citizens can share their national pride, even adding stitches to the 
flag itself. Once completed, the flag will become part of the National 
September 11th Memorial Museum being built at the World Trade Center.
  On March 29, 2011, the National 9/11 Flag was brought to the York 
Beach, Maine Fire Department. Alongside FDNY firefighters, local 
service heroes stitched a patch onto the flag. Through their 
participation, these remarkable men and women add to the American 
story, honoring their colleagues and country in an historic stitching 
ceremony. The volunteers who travel with the flag and the local 
community partners make these events of honor possible.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me again in recognizing the men and women 
who participate in the restoration of the National 9/11 Flag.

                          ____________________