[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18042]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         OBSERVING VETERANS DAY

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to commemorate Veterans Day and to 
thank all those who have served our country for their extraordinary 
bravery and sacrifice.
  As many of my colleagues know, President Woodrow Wilson first 
established this holiday--originally known as Armistice Day--on 
November 11, 1919, to honor the brave Americans who fought and died in 
World War I. After the end of World War II, Armistice Day was expanded 
to honor all veterans of our military services, and the holiday's name 
was changed to Veterans Day.
  My home State of Maryland has a long and proud military tradition 
dating to the first militiamen who set foot in the Maryland Colony in 
1634; to the War of 1812, where our soldiers famously held Fort McHenry 
and our national anthem, the ``Star-Spangled Banner,'' was penned; 
through both world wars; Korea; Vietnam; the Persian Gulf war; and our 
most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maryland's veterans and 
troops represent the best of our State and our Nation.
  Earlier this year, I had an opportunity to help present a 
Congressional Gold Medal to former Tuskegee Airman William A. Colbert, 
Jr., a lifelong Marylander. Mr. Colbert enlisted in the Army Air Force 
in 1943 and achieved the rank of flight officer at the Tuskegee Army 
Air Field. While Mr. Colbert never saw combat, he learned to fly with 
the best and became a full-fledged Red Tail. And as part of the first 
all-Black combat unit in the U.S. Armed Forces, Mr. Colbert and his 
fellow servicemen broke through racial barriers without any expectation 
of fame or fanfare. Their distinguished service and enduring courage 
played a critical role in the later desegregation of our Nation's 
military. Mr. Colbert always considered his contribution to the 
Tuskegee Airmen and his service to our country simply as what he was 
called to do as a citizen. Mr. Colbert passed away in early June but 
not before we were finally able to thank him for his extraordinary 
service to our Nation.
  While we were able to honor Mr. Colbert, there are thousands of other 
veterans who remain nameless. That is why on August 5, 2015, I 
introduced the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act of 
2015, S. 1982, along with the senior Senator from Arkansas, Mr. 
Boozman. Our legislation authorizes the addition of a Wall of 
Remembrance to the existing Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, 
DC. The Wall of Remembrance would list the names of members of the 
Armed Forces of the United States who died in theater in the Korean 
war, as well as the number of servicemembers who were wounded in 
action, are listed as missing in action, or who were prisoners of war 
during the Korean war. Authorizing a wall of remembrance here in the 
United States is just one way we can help ensure that those who gave 
the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country in the ``forgotten 
war'' are no longer forgotten.
  As America celebrates Veterans Day, we stand united in honoring the 
acts of selfless service from our Nation's veterans. Our veterans and 
military men and women and their families need to know that we remember 
them not just on Veterans Day but every single day of the year. Our 
veterans have protected our country and defended our values. These 
Americans are the bravest among us, and we applaud the innumerable 
sacrifices that they and their loved ones have made for this great 
country. As we celebrate Veterans Day, our thoughts and prayers are 
also with ``veterans to be''--the men and women who are currently 
serving our country, especially those in harm's way.

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