[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12516-12517]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            THE HONOR FLAG--10TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 ATTACKS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2011

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in less than one month, Americans will 
observe the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks. 
Those who witnessed the events of September 11th will always remember 
that day and what they were doing. It's like those of us that were 
alive when President Kennedy was assassinated. We remember that day; we 
remember what we were doing. And the old timers, they remember Pearl 
Harbor and what they were doing on December 7, 1941. September 11th is 
a day that we as a Nation should always remember because it reminds us 
of the preciousness of this Nation and her belief in freedom and 
liberty. It is something that is without a doubt worth preserving.
  As we remember where we were on that fateful day, it is even more 
important that we remember the 3,000 individuals that lost their lives 
that day. Many who lost their lives were heroes trying to rescue those 
trapped by the attacks. When those Twin Towers were set

[[Page 12517]]

aflame, those volunteers, those firefighters, those emergency medical 
folks and those police officers, they rushed as hard as they could to 
get to that terror from the sky. As a result of their heroism, many got 
to live another day. There are countless stories of the selfless 
bravery which occurred on 9/11, how Americans reacted extraordinarily 
in order to rescue one and other. In the face of attack, we pulled 
through with a remarkable spirit of unity and compassion that swept 
through our country.
  Shortly after the tragic September 11, 2001 attacks on our great 
Country, Americans all over the world raised up `old glory' in 
patriotic understanding of the events which had just befallen our 
country. The American Flag has always been a symbol of bringing our 
Nation together in good times or bad. One of these many flags was the 
symbol of our Nation's perseverance, was the Flag which was flown over 
Ground Zero. Still today this flag continues to fly, all around this 
great Nation in support of our heroes, because of Texas Patriot, Chris 
Heisler.
  In the aftermath of September 11th, Chris Heisler, like many other 
Americans felt compelled to take action after witnessing his country 
come under attack. When Chris was gifted this patriotic flag by Texas 
House of Representatives, he helped organize one of the longest police 
motorcades in the history of the United States to honor it. The 
American flag is a symbol to revere, respect, and honor and Chris' 
profound respect for America's symbol should be commended.
  Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, patriotism surged in the United 
States. Many young men and women enlisted to help fight the war on 
terrorism. Chris Heisler was part of this movement, and at the age of 
34 he put his business career on hold to enlist in the U.S. Army. While 
serving his country, Chris carried his revered flag with him to Kuwait, 
Qatar, and Iraq so it could fly with soldiers in combat zones.
  Soon soldiers began to refer to this flag as one of honor, as a 
result the flag is now named the United States Honor Flag. Ten years 
later, The United States Honor Flag continues to pay tribute to those 
who have lost their lives in the line of duty protecting the freedoms 
we all hold dear. The United States Honor Flag has been to many places 
including Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon, National Fallen 
Firefighters Foundation Memorial, the National Law Enforcement Officers 
Memorial, Presidential Libraries, VA Hospitals, and to countless 
sporting events. The flag has flown for more than 1,000 fallen soldiers 
and at funerals for police officers and firefighters. Recently it went 
to Space! It traveled on board the shuttle Atlantis' final mission.
  It is one single flag. There's a lot of security details involved in 
transporting the U.S. Honor Flag. It is kept in a secure case. The 
Department of Homeland Security has sewn microchips into the seam of 
the flag to verify its authenticity. The flag is constantly traveling. 
It is a national treasure that is respected and guarded.
  The betterment in our country often originates from the efforts of 
just one person. The establishment of the Honor Flag serves as an 
important reminder of the daily sacrifices our Nation's heroes make, 
and recognizes the freedoms of Old Glory. In recognition of Chris 
Heisler's patriotism, in remembrance of the tragic events on September 
11, 2001 and for those who continue to fight to preserve our liberty, I 
am proud to salute Chris Heisler for his loyalty to America, and to the 
United States Flag.
  We should remember those that died, those that got to live, and those 
that continue to fight for our freedoms today in places all over the 
world in the name of liberty and freedom.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________