[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14058]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         WORLD WAR II VETERANS

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, On September 23, nearly 100 World War II 
veterans from Montana will be visiting our Nation's Capital.
  With a great deal of honor and respect, I extend a hearty Montana 
welcome to each and every one of them.
  Together, they will visit the World War II Memorial and share stories 
about their service. This journey will no doubt bring about a lot of 
memories. I hope it will give them a deep sense of pride also.
  What they achieved together almost 70 years ago was remarkable. That 
memorial is a testament to the fact that a grateful nation will never 
forget what they did nor what they sacrificed. To us, they were the 
greatest generation. They left the comforts of their family and their 
communities to confront evil from Iwo Jima to Bastogne. Together, they 
won the war in the Pacific by conquering an empire and liberated a 
continent by defeating Hitler and the Nazis.
  To them, they were simply doing their jobs. They enlisted in 
unprecedented numbers to defend our freedoms and our values. They 
represented the very best of us and made us proud.
  From a young age I remember playing the bugle at the memorial 
services of veterans of the first two world wars. It instilled in me a 
profound sense of respect I will never forget.
  Honoring the service of every generation of American veterans is a 
Montana value. I deeply appreciate the work of the Big Sky Honor 
Flight, a nonprofit organization that made this trip and the first trip 
in June possible.
  To the World War II veterans making the trip, I salute you. We will 
always be grateful, and we will never forget your service or sacrifice.

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