[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Tennessee (Mrs. Black) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, this September 29 marks the 115th birthday 
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It is a day that will be celebrated at 
VFW posts and in communities around the country, and it is a day that 
deserves our recognition here in Congress as well.
  As a member of our local VFW Ladies Auxiliary and the proud wife of a 
Vietnam veteran and a VFW member, I have seen firsthand how our VFW 
makes good on its promise every day to honor the dead by helping the 
living.
  Each year, the nearly 2 million VFW and Auxiliary members contribute 
more than 8.6 million hours of volunteerism in their communities. These 
are men and women who have already sacrificed for their country by 
traveling into harm's way to defend our freedoms or waiting anxiously 
for our loved ones to return home from combat, yet they continue to 
serve wherever they see a need.
  At our VFW post in Hendersonville, for example, members maintain a 
food pantry for disadvantaged veterans, and they started an Operation 
Spearhead to specifically serve the families of those called to serve 
in the war on terror.
  Perhaps most importantly, the VFW has always risen above partisanship 
and politics to maintain a strong, steady voice on behalf of our heroes 
since its founding in 1899.
  On this upcoming Veterans of Foreign Wars Day, may we pause to honor 
the many contributions of this organization and be reminded to pray for 
those who continue serving around the world.

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