[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6699]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          WWII VETERANS VISIT

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, on May 19, 89 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 as well.
  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 or what they sacrificed. To us, they were our 
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 defeating an empire and liberated a 
continent by destroying 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 that 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, the nonprofit organization that made this trip possible.
  I say 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 your 
sacrifice.

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