[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1840
                 FALLEN HEROES TRAVELING MEMORIAL WALL

  (Mrs. BIGGERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the phenomenal 
efforts of the Illinois Patriot Guard and Gold Star families who joined 
together to launch a traveling tribute to honor our State's fallen 
heroes. I had the opportunity to view the Illinois Patriot Guard Fallen 
Heroes Traveling Memorial Wall during its stop at the Kendall VFW Post 
Number 3873 in Naperville, Illinois, this past week.
  It was moving beyond words to see the photos of the 272 brave men and 
women from Illinois who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country 
during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. To date, this 
memorial wall has traveled more than 30,000 miles through at least 60 
communities throughout the State of Illinois. It paints a powerful 
portrait of the sacrifices made by our troops.
  As our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge, said, ``A nation which 
forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.'' Our fallen soldiers 
will be remembered forever. And thanks to the families and veterans who 
put this traveling memorial together, communities across our State have 
a very special opportunity to gather together in tribute to these 
heroes.

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