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HONORING AMERICA'S BELOVED VETERANS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman) for 30 minutes.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I am proud and honored to host today's Special Order in light of Veterans Day being just around the corner on November 11.
Here in D.C. and back home in Michigan, I stay closely connected with all my fellow veterans, and I can tell you this: From the Afghanistan debacle to lingering backlogs at the VA, it has not been an easy year for veterans and their families.
But I want to remind you all, veterans, you are not alone. We are here with you; we are listening; and we are working through the difficult times to get things done. You are going to hear today from many of my colleagues who not only share this feeling but want to remind you that we are working every day on your behalf, not for any political reason but because we strive to thank you and honor you for your service to our Nation.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), who is my friend, colleague, and fellow marine.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. General Bergman is doing a great job.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to join my friends and fellow veterans here today to honor the generations of men and women who have served this great Nation. From the Greatest Generation of veterans to the youngest generation of veterans, we are undeniably lucky to have men and women who are willing to lay down their lives for others.
This Veterans Day comes exactly 2 months after the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
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In that sense, it is an even more poignant reminder than usual of the sacrifices veterans have made so that we can be free. For 20 years, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardsmen, reservists, and Special Forces units, in and around Afghanistan prevented another terrorist attack on the homeland. For 20 years, they made the world safer. For 20 years, they gave the Afghanistan people a taste of freedom; the freedom for Afghan women and girls to pursue education and a career; the freedom to play sports, the freedom to be Christian; the freedom to live without oppression and terror.
Like generations of veterans before them, they spent days, months, and years thousands of miles from home. They missed births, birthdays, weddings, funerals, anniversaries and holidays. They protected those they will never meet. They looked our enemies dead in the eye and refused to accept defeat.
As a veteran, a father, and a grandfather of Active Duty servicemembers, and the lead Republican on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I could not be prouder of the millions of men and women who selflessly answered our country's call throughout our history.
This Veterans Day, I encourage all Americans to pause and remember those who have defended our way of life. Their service should always, always be honored and celebrated. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.
Last, and certainly not least, I want to share a message for those who may be struggling. If you are a veteran or you know someone who is a veteran who is going through a tough time, please reach out and ask for help. It is the right and brave thing to do. Your service mattered. You matter. The Veterans Crisis Line offers free, confidential support to all veterans. Simply call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. Once again, that is: 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. Or you can text, 838255. Once again, you can text 838255, or visit www.veteranscrisisline.net.
May God bless our veterans, their families, and the United States of America. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Bost for his comments, and I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), my friend and colleague and fellow Air Force veteran.
Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, I thank General Bergman for having this very worthy Special Order tonight on veterans. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, patriots will come together to celebrate America's brave protectors, past and present.
As a son of a World War II veteran, a veteran myself, and the father of a decorated Navy SEAL, it is sometimes very difficult for me to adequately express the deep-rooted gratitude that I hold for our military; the same gratitude historically held by a majority of our great country.
This year, however, something is different. The people of this Nation still honor our servicemen and -women, but unfortunately, some in the White House don't seem to do that. This administration would rather focus on our military being woke rather than being prepared and ready for a potential war with our enemies.
My heart especially goes out to our veterans of Afghanistan. The Biden administration and our military leadership failed you and the Afghan allies that you worked so closely with for decades. To the men and women of our Armed Forces who sacrificed so much over the last 20 years, I say this: Hold your head up high. Your service protected countless freedom-loving people and prevented terrorism from thriving in the United States and in our post-9/11 world.
Ronald Reagan once said: ``Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it onto our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.''
No one understands this truth more than our vets. I promise to continue using my position in Congress to serve those who have served us and to all of our current and former soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardians, and coasties, I gratefully and humbly say thank you.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to my colleague from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Kelly).
Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the great men and women who serve and have fought in our military and risked their lives to protect this great country of ours.
Each November, we are reminded of the heroism our veterans displayed both at home and abroad. My Congressional District, Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, is among the largest constituencies of military veterans in our Commonwealth. More than 45,000 veterans call PA-16 home. That is 1 in 15 of my constituents, and it would be hard to go to any home anywhere in the district that I serve and not find people who have served in the military.
Our office has a dedicated veterans' outreach program. Some of our representatives--right now it is Francis ``Chookie'' LaCamera; 36 years he served. We also had John ``P.K.'' Galanski, a Vietnam vet who never stopped serving. After he came home, he has been part of our service outreach program and has dedicated his entire life to taking care of our veterans.
Also, a good friend and a guy who has done such a great job, Tony
``Gunny'' Digiacomo, another Iraqi war veteran who served in our office taking care of our veterans and now is a Crawford County VSO.
And last, but not least, John Cuneo, who is an Afghani war veteran. When I talked to John about the Afghanistan withdrawal, I said: John, I just want to make sure you are okay. And he said: Mike, I haven't slept for 5 days. I lost friends in Afghanistan. I held them as they died. Some of them came back home, but they were deeply wounded and injured and probably will never fully recover. And I just don't understand how we arrived at this type of a withdrawal.
I keep thinking to myself: Was it worth it? The loss of lives, the loss of limbs; was it really worth it?
All I can say to him is: John, for 20 years our men and women in uniform have kept the home country safe. I don't know what more you could have done. I, too, have the sense of what your loss is and how deep it is. But please just remember that the American people will always be indebted to you for what you have done. And we know how difficult these last few months have been.
We look back at what happened in Afghanistan and our withdraw from Afghanistan and I keep wondering, why? Why, this true 1 percent of Americans go and serve? How can they look at what is happening and think things are all right?
That is why this month, this November, this Veterans Day, it is absolutely critical that we take time out of our daily lives and anybody we know that served, we thank them for their service. We thank them for their sacrifice. We thank them for everything they have done for this great country.
I ask people to please remember: When they left to go serve us and to protect us, some of them never came home; never got a chance to celebrate another Thanksgiving; never got a chance to celebrate a Christmas. Most never had a chance to get married, have children, and enjoy the American life.
They did it because they love this Nation. They gave everything they could possibly give. And there is a saying out there that all gave some, but some gave all. That is so true and that is why on November 11 every single American should stop and say a prayer for those who not only lost their lives but those who came home injured, and some injured in a way that they will never be able to have the life they had before they left.
They are entitled to everything they have been promised, and, more importantly, they deserve it. They deserve that.
So on this date, November 11, let's all stop just for a minute and think just how much this country, this Nation meant to those who served. I thank the gentleman so much for having the Special Order.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), my friend.
Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for holding this Special Order tonight and for his service to our Nation as a general in the United States Marine Corps.
As Veterans Day approaches this year, we should all take time to recognize and honor the men and women in uniform who served our Nation in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Two of our colleagues, Representative Brian Mast from Florida and Representative Dan Crenshaw from Texas served in Afghanistan and now serve their country in the United States Capitol as our colleagues.
Please know that your commitment and your sacrifices were not in vain. Over the past two decades, our Nation has been more safe and more secure because of your vigilance and because of your service. In November, we also recognize National Veterans and Military Families Month. During this month and every month, we must be committed to providing the services that all of our veterans need. Please know that if you or a loved one is struggling, there is help and there are resources that are available through the Veterans Administration.
Congress must always remain committed to supporting our veterans, and I am proud to be supporting legislation to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs returns to full staffing levels to handle the backlog of requests that have been created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Veterans Day I ask all of us to renew our commitment to the men and women who have served our Nation. I ask that we ensure that they have the care and the resources that they need. I want to take special note to thank my wife, Alice, who served in the United States Navy for more than 12 years; and her sister Julia Shocker who served in the United States Army.
I want to thank the general from Michigan for holding this Special Order that allows us to recognize the importance of our freedom, our freedom that was given to us by the veterans who served our country. General, semper fi.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I accept that for all the veterans who served, especially the marines.
Now, it is my honor to yield to the gentleman from North Carolina
(Mr. Rouzer), my friend and colleague.
Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Michigan for yielding.
With Veterans Day just around the corner, I am pleased to join my colleagues to honor the brave men and women who valiantly answered the call of duty to serve and protect the United States.
In North Carolina, we have a rich tradition of military service, and we are blessed to have a large community of veterans in the Seventh Congressional District. It is because of their selflessness and heroism that the United States remains free and continues to be the greatest light for liberty mankind has ever known.
Their families have devoted just as much to this noble cause. Over the past year and a half many of our citizens across this great land have struggled with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but none have been more affected than our veterans and their families.
Those veterans who have seen the horrors of war carry scars. Some are physical scars; others are emotional scars. Mental health has always been a need for many, given what they have been through. The botched withdrawal from Afghanistan has further exacerbated that mental anguish for so many who have served.
This is why now, more than ever, it is important that Congress pay tribute to our country's servicemembers and our veterans. It is also important for them to know that America supports them. To every veteran across this great land and their loved ones, we thank you and we are forever indebted to you. It is my honor to serve as a voice for North Carolina veterans in Congress, and I will continue to support vital measures to honor, provide support, and deliver results for our Nation's heroes. May God always bless them.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), my friend and Army veteran.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate my friend General Bergman for using this time to pay tribute to veterans. I have seen the statistics from an article in 2018, 71 percent of young Americans between 17 and 24 are ineligible to serve in the military; 24 million out of 34 million people in that age group. The demographics of the military as of 2018 indicate that there is just under 1.29 million people serving, men and women serving in the military. That is less than 0.5 percent of the U.S. population.
We owe our military the deepest amount of appreciation and thanks. And I just went back to the office this afternoon and got another plea from another servicemember. These people are the very tiny, few volunteers willing to step up and defend America at all costs, including their own lives.
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Jesus said that is the greatest love there can be. They love their country. They love those they serve with. They are willing to face anything, except corrupt, high-ranking officers who are so busy sticking their heads up the atriums of the White House that they are not concerned enough about their own men.
We saw that in the exit of Afghanistan. We saw servicemembers die because commanding officers didn't care enough about their own troops.
This notice says: You either take the vaccination--without regard to whether you have had bad reactions to things in there, like the warnings say--we want to experiment on you like we did the Tuskegee Airmen. This is wrong, and we should be standing up for our servicemembers, not only saying thank you, but thank you and you shouldn't have to serve and follow orders that are experiments that we have outlawed such experimentation on our servicemembers.
Thank you, we owe you a debt of gratitude, and we are going to be fighting for you here.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr. Walberg).
Mr. WALBERG. Madam Speaker, with Veterans Day approaching, I am pleased to join my good friend from Michigan, General Jack Bergman, and all of my colleagues tonight in paying tribute to those who served. What we say tonight will be totally inadequate to express what needs to be expressed, but we must say it anyway.
Veterans Day is a moment to pause and say thank you to the men and women who chose to defend American's freedoms and the families who supported them from home. We have an obligation to display our deepest gratitude and make sure we care for the physical and mental health of those who served.
In Congress, we have advanced a number of bipartisan initiatives. Last year, the Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act was signed into law to help ensure no veteran slips through the cracks. More support will be available through the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-
Living Adjustment Act, which helps veterans and their families keep up with ever-increasing inflation.
These laws, and many others like them, are important steps forward, taken by a grateful Nation. But the work must carry on so that we continue to keep our promises to those who have heroically served.
That is why this week I will be introducing a bipartisan piece of legislation, Prisoner of War Priority Care Act, that will assign the highest priority status for hospital care and medical services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans who are former prisoners of war.
For the wounds both seen and unseen, we owe an eternal debt of gratitude to our veterans. We say it with profound sincerity. We can't make up for the cost, but we can support, as the days go by.
Today, just like every day, we thank you.
God bless our Nation's veterans.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller).
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for hosting this Special Order and thank him for his distinguished service in the United States Marine Corps.
America's military is the most powerful fighting force on the planet, and it draws its strength from the determination and might of its members, the men and women who have answered freedom's call.
This Veterans Day, we recognize the many sacrifices our veterans have made in order to defend our way of life and secure the blessings of liberty for all to enjoy.
From the dawn of our Nation, valiant Americans have risen to confront every threat we face. For generations, America's veterans have served our country with honor, beating back tyranny to the ends of the Earth.
We also recognize America's military families: the wives, husbands, children, parents, and siblings who share in their sacrifice.
We are fighting for them in Congress, pushing for policies like the RECORDS Act, which would expedite requests for the records our veterans need so they can access the benefits they have earned.
A grateful Nation salutes your service. May God bless our veterans and the United States of America.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin
(Mr. Tiffany), my friend and border colleague.
Mr. TIFFANY. Madam Speaker, I thank so much Representative Bergman for yielding. It is a great pleasure to be a neighbor to the wonderful Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Veterans Day has been celebrated under different names since World War I, but the premise remains the same: We pause to honor the men and women who have selflessly served our Nation and have kept us free.
We honor their love of country, their patriotism, and their willingness to sacrifice for our greater good. Our country has faced many challenges in the last 100-plus years. From Belleau Woods to Normandy to the global war on terror, every time, our warriors have answered the Nation's calls.
This year, as we close the chapter on Afghanistan, we are again reminded of the sacrifices they have made, the kindness in their hearts, and their dedication to the mission.
This Veterans Day, reflect on the gift they have given us, respect their service, and thank them for their sacrifice. Because of them, we live in the greatest Nation on Earth.
On behalf of my constituents, thank you, and may God bless all of you.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Clyde), my friend and colleague and Navy veteran.
Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, it was indeed the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918. World War I, the war to end all wars, was finally over. It was called Armistice Day. Today, it is called Veterans Day, and it is the day we honor the service and sacrifice of all veterans, those living and those who have gone before us.
This coming Veterans Day is not about having another day off work. It is not about enjoying another Federal holiday where we have an opportunity to uncover the grill. It is about honoring those who have served our country and sacrificed so we can live in freedom in the greatest Nation on the Earth.
Madam Speaker, I grew up in Canada. My mom was Canadian and my father was a U.S. citizen and a U.S. Navy officer in the Korean war. In Canada, we didn't call November 11th Veterans Day, we called it Remembrance Day; and we always wore a red poppy to remind everyone of the sacrifices made for freedom.
This is a picture of one right here.
The poem ``In Flanders Fields'' from World War I talks about those poppies. As an elementary school student, I was required to memorize that poem. I think everyone should know that poem, because it is so powerful. The symbol of the poppy for remembrance, however, did not come from Canada. It came from my home State of Georgia, from a professor at the University of Georgia named Moina Michael.
In fact, the highway between Athens, Georgia, and Monroe, Georgia, is called the Moina Michael Highway to honor her efforts. In 1917, she took a leave of absence from the university to volunteer with the Young Women's Christian Association to assist overseas workers in the war effort.
In November of 1918, inspired by the poem ``In Flanders Fields'' by John McCrae, she vowed to always wear a poppy as a remembrance of those who sacrificed in the war.
In Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row on row,That mark our place; and in the sky,The larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below.We are the dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie,In Flanders fields.Take up our quarrel with the foe:To you from failing hands we throwThe torch; be yours to hold it high.If ye break faith with us who dieWe shall not sleep, though poppies growIn Flanders fields.
We are so blessed to live in a country where men and women willingly put their lives on the line for our liberty. We must not, we cannot break faith.
As we celebrate Veterans Day 2021, let's honor their service and remember their sacrifice by asking one simple question: How can we carry the burden for liberty?
May God bless America and may God bless our military.
Soli Deo gloria.
Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, in closing, during my 40 years in uniform, and now here in Congress, and also even before uniform, being raised in a family of World War II veterans, I feel as though because of my parents' guidance and example, I have dedicated my life to our military community, in one form or another.
Through all of that and all I have learned, there is one thing about Veterans Day that I really want to make sure that I talk about; all of you, talk to a veteran. Don't just say ``Thank you for your service,'' but engage them, find out about their story.
Veterans, to you, share your stories, because we don't know how many more days that we might have to walk the face of the Earth. It is so important for us to share our stories as veterans with the next generations.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
We live in the greatest country in the world because men and women have sworn an oath to give their lives for our country. Never forget that. That is what makes us the United States of America.
May God continue to bless our troops, all of our veterans and their families.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 192
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