American Braille Flag Memorial Act

I thank the gentleman from Florida and the gentleman from Texas for their assistance in helping me with this very fine piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, last summer, one of my constituents, Randy Cabral, president of the Kansas Braille Transcript Institute, e-mailed me with an idea, to place an American Braille flag at Arlington National Cemetery. Today, we see the fruition of one man's idea.

Prior to the creation of the American Braille flag, the American flag was not accessible to the blind. This flag was created by the Kansas Braille Transcript Institute in Wichita, Kansas.

As you can see on this poster to my left, the flag has been specially designed in a way that informs the blind of the full color of the American flag, the 13 stripes and the 50 stars on a blue field. Additionally, this tactile flag bears the Pledge of Allegiance, both in raised print and in grade one Braille.

Few know that our Nation has more than 1 million blind and low-vision veterans, and those numbers continue to rise. The Department of Defense estimates that 16 percent of those injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom suffer from severe vision loss. An additional 10 to 12 million Americans are blind or of low vision.

The American Braille Flag Memorial Act authorizes the placement of an American Braille flag at Arlington National Cemetery, a national place of remembrance and honor for our Nation's veterans. The cemetery is visited by an estimated 4 million people annually. The American Braille Flag Memorial will bring honor to our Nation's blind community and allow our blind veterans to see the American flag again.

In order to ensure that this effort will enhance and not detract from the cemetery, I have worked with the superintendent of the Arlington National Cemetery, John Metzler. Mr. Metzler believes that a 15-inch by 17-inch bronze replica of the American Braille flag would be a wonderful addition to the visitors center at the cemetery.

This is a unique bronze replica, and, as such, this new drawing and special casting had to be commissioned. The drawings for the bronze replica were completed by Kevin West, a student at Wichita Area Technical College. Kevin is a specialist in the Kansas Army National Guard. He is also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He served in the 778th Combat Heavy Equipment Transport Group, or HET, out of Kansas City, Kansas, as both a convoy security and a HET operator. Let me take this moment to thank Kevin for his service to the Nation.

The actual bronze flag memorial will be cast free of charge by the Truxes Company of Oswego, Illinois. The Truxes Company was founded by another American hero, Mr. Bill Truxes. Mr. Truxes joined the Army Air Corps during World War II and served as a B-24 pilot. While serving in World War II, he was shot down during the Battle of the Bulge and became a POW in Germany in 1944. He was liberated at the end of the war. I greatly appreciate Mr. Truxes' patriotism and generosity in agreeing to donate the bronze casting, and I also want to thank him for his service.

With Mr. West and Mr. Truxes both donating their service, and the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute donating the transportation, this entire project will be provided to the government free of charge.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my 16 cosponsors and the Blind Veterans of America for their endorsement and support of this effort. But more importantly, I want to thank those who served this Nation. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our veterans, and this simple action will mean much more to our patriotic blind veterans.

I encourage my colleagues to join with me in supporting this effort and placing the Braille flag at Arlington National Cemetery.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4169) to authorize the placement in Arlington National Cemetery of an American Braille tactile flag in Arlington National Cemetery honoring blind members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and other Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4169.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the American Braille Flag Memorial Act, H.R. 4169. I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. Tiahrt, for drafting this important piece of legislation and for his leadership in this area.

Today, there are nearly 1.3 million blinded and visually impaired Americans, and approximately 187,000 of those are veterans. It is estimated that 16 percent of these veterans have sustained injuries in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom,

leaving them with some form of severe visual loss and impairment. These veterans, due to their disability, are often not afforded the opportunity to cherish and witness the American flag as those without visual impairment are. That is why passing the American Braille Flag Memorial Act is so important. It would authorize the Secretary of the Army to place an American Braille tactile flag on the grounds of the Arlington National Cemetery to honor the sacrifice of our Nation's blind veterans and members of the Armed Forces.

This legislation would also allow the Secretary of the Army to approve the appropriate design of the flag, as well as the site in the Arlington National Cemetery that would be most appropriate for the memorial, which I understand is likely to be at the visitors center. The bronze Braille American flag, generously donated by the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, would include the Pledge of Allegiance, and allow the blind and visually impaired to feel the Stars and Stripes and colors of the American flag placed near Arlington National Cemetery Visitors Center.

I am pleased that the Blind Veterans Association, the American Council and American Foundation of the Blind wholeheartedly support this piece of legislation. Our efforts today will show the over 4 million visitors who come to the Arlington National Cemetery each year that we remember and honor the blind veterans who died in service to our Nation, as well as all veterans and servicemembers who live today with blindness and vision loss.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides a way to include all Americans in this wonderful patriotic experience when visiting Arlington National Cemetery and seeing the American flag where heroes are laid to rest. I am told that when feeling miniature mock-up versions of the Braille flag, blinded veterans and servicemembers often break down and cry.

It would only be appropriate to allow our blind and visually impaired veterans and servicemembers to share this experience by paying tribute and honoring them with the recognition they deserve at the hallmark of American memorials, the Arlington National Cemetery.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 4169 without delay.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity also to

thank both the gentleman from Florida as well as the author, Todd Tiahrt, on their efforts in this area.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise also in strong support for H.R. 4169, which would authorize the placement in Arlington National Cemetery of an American Braille tactile flag honoring blind members of the Armed Forces, veterans and other Americans.

My colleagues, our Nation's veterans have fought for our freedom, many at the expense of their health and well-being. Some of our veterans have not just lost use of an arm or a leg as a consequence of service, but now live in darkness from the loss of their sight.

In order to serve the needs of blind Americans, the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute created and designed a tactile American flag in Braille which would enable these blind veterans and other blind Americans the simple ability to see through the use of their hands the beauty of our American flag.

The flag has been specifically designed in a way that informs the blind of the full color of the American flag, 13 stripes and 50 stars on the blue field. Additionally, the tactile flag bears the Pledge of Allegiance in both raised print and grade one Braille. It is a plaque. It is not a traditional flag.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my full support of this great bill, the American Braille Flag Memorial Act. By placing the Braille American flag at Arlington National Cemetery, we do indeed bring honor to our Nation's blind veterans community and allow our blind veterans to see the American flag.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt), the author of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to again congratulate my colleague from Kansas for introducing this bill. It clearly shows a special sense of sensitivity to the needs of disabled veterans. I commend my distinguished colleague for doing this and for the support of the institute for their offering this to the government at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Again, it is a lot of hard work by Mr. Tiahrt, and I commend him. I urge my colleagues to support and pass this bill, H.R. 4169.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, due to events in my district I will miss votes on February 14, 2008. Had I been present, the Record would reflect the following votes:

H. Res. 982, providing for the adoption of H. Res. 979 and H. Res. 980, contempt of Congress resolutions, ``yea.''

H. Res. 966, honoring African-American inventors, past and present, for their leadership, courage, and significant contributions to our national competitiveness, ``yea.''

H.R. 1834, National Ocean Exploration Program Act, ``yea.''

S. 2571, to make technical corrections to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, ``yea.''

H. Con. Res. 289, honoring and praising the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its 99th anniversary, ``yea.''

H.R. 4169, American Braille Flag Memorial Act, ``yea.''

H. Res. 790, commending the people of the State of Washington for showing their support for the needs of the State of Washington's veterans and encouraging residents of the other States to pursue creative ways to show their own support for veterans, ``yea.''

H. Res. 963, supporting the goals and ideals of National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week, ``yea.''

H. Res. 972, supporting the goals and ideals of American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day, ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 65, H.R. 4169, I was at a special access briefing with U.S. Air Force and immediately attempted to return but votes closed just as I arrived. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''