[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 7439]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              MEMORIAL DAY

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the men and women 
of our Armed Forces who have given their lives in defense of the United 
States. Memorial Day has, since its inception in the years immediately 
after the end of the Civil War, been a special time for us to remember 
and honor all Americans who have died in military service. Nearly 150 
years after the first ``Decoration Day'' was observed, it remains 
important that we as citizens of this great Nation take time to reflect 
on the brave servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice on 
our behalf.
  As I have noted, Memorial Day grew out of a practice started in April 
1866 in Columbus, MS, with the decoration of the graves of Confederate 
and Union soldiers alike. The tradition of honoring both those who fell 
on both sides of that conflict evolved into our modern observance of 
this sacred day.
  Today, tens of thousands of American men and women continue to put 
their lives on the line to preserve and perpetuate the freedoms and 
liberties established with the birth of our Nation. The freedoms we 
enjoy in this country have often been paid for with the lives of these 
servicemembers. Their selfless example of service, whether made at 
Bunker Hill, Vicksburg, Iwo Jima, Inchon or the remotest regions of 
Afghanistan, inspires us to sacrifice and work for the good of our 
Nation.
  This Memorial Day, Mississippians will again honor all brave fallen 
warriors, including the men and women from our State who have recently 
died in the service of our nation in Afghanistan and around the world.
  For the Record, I offer the names of three brave heroes with roots in 
Mississippi, who have fallen since the nation commemorated Memorial Day 
last year. They are:

       SSG Ricardo Seija, 31, of Tampa, FL, who died July 9, 2012
       SFC Coater B. DeBose, 55, of State Line, MS, died Aug. 19, 
     2012
       Specialist Patricia L. Horne, 20, of Greenwood, MS, died 
     Aug. 24, 2012

  We mourn their loss and honor them for their courage, dedication and 
sacrifice, and resolve that their lives were not given in vain.
  This Memorial Day, the people of my State and throughout our great 
Nation will rightly set aside their day-to-day tasks to remember and 
say a prayer of thanksgiving for those who have laid down their lives 
for their country. We will also think of their families who share most 
acutely in their loss. I join them in saying thank you to those who 
made these great sacrifices.

                          ____________________