Supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).

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

Mr. Speaker, as the Representative from San Diego, a community that knows a little bit about the military, one of the largest military complexes in the world, I am very honored to support this motion by the gentleman from Tennessee and want to thank him for that. Not only do I have the privilege of representing a community that is steeped in military history that goes, in fact, all the way back to our founding by Cabrillo, a military man in service of Spain, but also the fact of being raised--not only raised in a military family but born on a military base. So those of us from San Diego know exactly how deeply the roots of the military go as free Americans and as those who do not question the perception that service, as George Washington said, is always the highest honor and the greatest contribution.

Mr. Speaker, I just have to say that I'm sorry that some are not here to see Congress finally take up this item, and I think the gentleman from Tennessee should be commended, and I think the majority should be thanked for allowing the gentleman from Tennessee to bring this bill up for consideration, something I hope to see more of.

I wish that my parents were alive today, parents that not only was he at Pearl Harbor on his birthday, at Leyte Gulf, and at Inchon, but also, more importantly, something we don't think about the military, and that's from my mother's side, of the people around the world like my mother, that in the 1940s in Australia was watching the Japanese empire threaten to conquer her hometown of Brisbane, and the Yanks showed up in time to be able to save them from the tyranny of fascism.

I think that too often when we talk about things like the service in the military, we think only of service to those of us who are Americans; but recognizing that the American military is not only not a threat to the rest of the world, it's an essential component of the world peace and the world freedom and the world prosperity that not only Americans but the entire world, sadly, I think takes for granted.

I think that this is quite appropriate that the gentleman from Tennessee brings this up, that we not only recognize but we celebrate how unique our American military is. We go around the world to set people free. We go around the world to give them a better life. We do not go to conquer and to oppress; and that is something the Americans have done from the get-go and it's something that we should recognize, be it at Barbary Coast to put down the pirates that were raiding innocent ships or to go and depose dictators that have been oppressing their own and killing their own people.

I think this bill is quite appropriate, and hopefully we will see the kind of celebration of the heritage of military service that we have in this country as we have seen on others.

So I again congratulate the gentleman from Tennessee, and I thank the majority for allowing the bill to go forward.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me the time, and I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his words in support of this legislation, and I also want to thank the very large number of cosponsors from both sides of the aisle that we have on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1442 would designate the month of November as Military History Month. While still a general in the Continental Army, George Washington said, ``When we assumed the soldier, we did not set aside the citizen,'' meaning that he believed from the early days of this country's history that citizen-soldiers were the most important people in this Nation in so many, many ways.

Since even before there was a United States until today, Americans have never shied away from the fight to make life better, not only for ourselves but for many millions of others. To better understand, appreciate, and celebrate the influence of the military on our Nation's narrative, we should designate November as United States Military History Month.

There are two major holidays already set aside to honor the men and women who have served this Nation. First known as Declaration Day, what is now known as Memorial Day commemorates the American soldiers who have died in combat. Veterans Day began as Armistice Day to note the end of World War I. The Congress changed it to Veterans Day in 1954, and now on November 11 of each year we honor all those who have served in the military. But without celebrating our country's military history, these holidays might very well end up being seen merely as days off work or just days that government buildings and banks are closed.

The U.S. military has always played a very important role in our Nation's evolution and in protecting the American way of life. Establishing, through the passage of this resolution, H. Res. 1442, a month each year to highlight our Armed Forces will hopefully encourage Americans to learn, remember, and appreciate the sacrifices of the men and women who serve.

It is often said that a nation which forgets its own history does so at its peril. This resolution is a fitting and appropriate way to honor our past and especially the extremely important role the U.S. military has played in that history.

I have submitted this resolution at the request of one of my constituents, Mr. Ed Hooper, a great military historian; and this is very appropriate, too, because it shows that legislation often does not emanate from Washington but, really, comes from the ground up, from the people that we represent. This is truly the American way to do legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution to designate November as Military History Month in this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1442) supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1442, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month.

H. Res. 1442 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee, Representative John Duncan, on June 15, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on September 23, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of over 50 Members of the House.

Mr. Speaker, from the Revolutionary War to the present conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the actions and leadership of our Armed Forces have shaped the history of our Nation and helped to preserve our freedoms. One cannot understand our country without understanding our history, and our military has always had a critical role in our history.

For all that they've done for our Nation, our soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, and marines deserve our appreciation and respect. One of the ways we can do this is by helping to ensure that Americans understand the role that our military has played in the development of our Nation and in the history of our world. I, therefore, ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1442 and encourage all Americans to take time to learn more about our Nation's military history.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.