[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8469]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 19, 2014

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National 
Military Appreciation Month and to honor the extraordinary bravery and 
sacrifice of our men and women in uniform by celebrating.
  Each May, veteran and service organizations come together to hold 
events around the country to demonstrate their gratitude to current and 
former men and women in uniform and their families for their service to 
our country.
  From Military Spouse Appreciation Day to Memorial Day, the month of 
May is a time when a grateful nation acknowledges and affirms the debt 
owed to those brave men and women who risked their lives to preserve 
the freedoms we too often take for granted.
  It is important that we recognize and celebrate the tremendous role 
military personnel have played across the globe.
  Texas is home to more than 130,000 active military personnel and more 
than 1,600,000 veterans, 30,000 of which are from the 18th 
Congressional District of Texas.
  It has been an honor to represent these constituents and I am 
extremely proud of their service.
  As we acknowledge our former, current and future military men and 
women, it is essential that we provide them with the resources 
necessary to help wounded warriors, veterans, and their families 
transition to civilian life.
  That is why I was proud to cosponsor and help shepherd to passage 
H.R. 1344, Helping Heroes Fly Act, that was signed into law in 2013 and 
which facilitates expedited passenger screening at airports for service 
members who are severely injured or disabled, along with their 
families.
  I also introduced H.R. 4110, the ``Helping to Encourage Real 
Opportunity for Veterans Transitioning from Battlespace to Workplace 
Act of 2014,'' which provides strong incentives for employers to hire, 
retain, and employ veterans in positions that take maximum advantage of 
their skills and experience.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing I recognize by the name the 53 brave men and 
women from my home city of Houston, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan 
and gave the last full measure of devotion to their country.
  They are: Krystal Fitts, Jorge Luis Velasquez, Cody Norris, Jacob 
Molina, Pedro Maldonado, Edwardo Loredo, Matthew Catlett, Zarian Wood, 
Andrew Roughton, Edgar Heredia, Joshua Molina, Steven Candelo, Scott 
McIntosh, Orlando Perez, Jeremy Ray, Benjamin Garrison, Rodney Johnson, 
Matthew Medlicott, Alan Austin, William Edwards, Eric Salinas, Danny 
Soto, Roy Jones, Terrence Dunn, Hector Leija, David Fraser, Benjamin 
Rosales, Kenneth Pugh, Alberto Sanchez, Walter Moss, Michael Robertson, 
Howard Babcock, Timothy Roark, Ivica Jerak, Phillip George, Keith 
Mariotti, Clinton Gertson, Dexter Kimble, Jesus Leon-Perez, Thomas 
Zapp, Eric Allton, Andrew Houghton, Juan Torres, Pedro Contreras, 
Adolfo Carballo, Scott Larson, Leroy Sandoval, Armando Soriano, Keelan 
Moss, A. Esparza-Gutierrez, Tomas Sotelo, Brian Matthew Kennedy, and 
Brian Craig.
  God bless them. And may God bless the United States.

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