[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 3508-3509]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  WELCOMING HOME OUR VIETNAM VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRADLEY BYRNE

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 21, 2016

  Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable 
Americans who served in the Vietnam war. These heroes never received 
the proper ``welcome home'' they deserved, so I want to take a moment 
to recognize each of them and thank them for their service and 
sacrifice.
  Over three million Americans fought in Vietnam, in addition to 
countless others who served in various support roles. These individuals 
left the loving arms of their families and

[[Page 3509]]

the comfort of their homes to fight for a cause greater than any one 
person. The fight was not an easy one and the conditions were 
especially daunting, but they chose to put their lives on the line in 
defense of freedom and so others may live.
  Sadly, some of these American heroes never made the return home. Over 
55,000 patriots paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our great 
nation. These individuals are now enshrined in our nation's history on 
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in our nation's capital, and their legacy 
will never be forgotten.
  I would be remiss if I did not also mention the sacrifice of our 
military families who saw someone they loved go away to war. I'm 
talking about the newlywed wife whose husband departed just months 
after their marriage. I'm talking about the young toddler who barely 
knew their father before they deployed. I'm talking about the mom and 
dad who shed tears as their young child left to join the fight. I'm 
talking about each and every family member who had someone they loved 
fight in Vietnam. They sacrificed so much and deserve to be commended 
as well.
  Mr. Speaker, today we salute those who served our nation in Vietnam, 
and, on behalf of a grateful nation, we thank them for their patriotism 
and service. May we never forget their sacrifice, may God bless our 
veterans, and may God always bless the United States of America.

                          ____________________