[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13436-13437]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONOR FLIGHT ALASKA RECOGNITION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2012

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of a grateful 
Alaska Congressional Delegation, state, and country, to welcome four 
heroes to our nation's capital. On September 27, 2012, four World War 
II veterans are coming on an Honor Flight from Alaska to visit the 
World War II Memorial here in Washington, D.C.
   The Honor Flight program was started in 2005 to provide national 
transportation to D.C. for veterans who might otherwise never see the 
memorials built in their honor. Initially run entirely by individual 
volunteers, the program

[[Page 13437]]

has grown into a non-profit network of volunteers, organizations, and 
airlines that work together to extend this amazing opportunity to those 
who most deserve it.
   The four veterans on this Honor Flight are World War II veterans: 
William Joseph Nuggent, Army Air Force; Louis Elmer Fessler, U.S. Army; 
Marc Stella, U.S. Marine Corps; Robert J. Ingram, U.S. Navy.
   Mr. Speaker, these four veterans from Alaska join over 81,000 
veterans, from across the country, who have traveled to our nation's 
capital since 2005 to visit and reflect on memorials built in their 
honor. This Honor Flight was made possible through generous public 
donations and contributions from those who wish to honor these heroes.
   We truly can never repay the debt we owe the soldiers, sailors, 
airmen, and Marines who put themselves in harm's way to protect our 
freedom. The sacrifices made by these heroes--and the families they 
left behind--are truly incredible. These servicemen returned home with 
heavy burdens and scars from war, and still helped our nation rebuild 
and achieve unprecedented prosperity. Their honor, courage, commitment, 
and sacrifice brought freedom to much of the world, and allowed us to 
enjoy the freedoms we cherish today.
   Please join me in thanking these Alaska veterans for their selfless 
dedication, commitment, and service to our great nation. God bless 
America and these brave men.

                          ____________________