Expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our nation in times of war and conflict.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 866) expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our nation in times of war and conflict.

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

Mr. Speaker, Abraham Lincoln, in the Gettysburg Address, stated that the ``world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.'' In that spirit, Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The goal of the project is to capture the personal stories of our Nation's heroes so that our children and their children can more fully understand the history of this great Nation.

The project directed the Library of Congress to establish a national archive for the collection and preservation of videotaped oral histories of our veterans, as well as the copying of letters written during their time in service and diaries they kept so there is a national repository of this very important part of our Nation's history. This is a worthwhile investment of time and resources and is a gift that can be given for generations and centuries to come.

There are more than 23 million veterans living in this country today, including the 3 million veterans of World War II. It is important that these stories are told, and it is more important that these stories are told from the mouths of those who were on the front lines and participated firsthand as history was made.

This resolution before us today, House Resolution 866, calls on the people of the United States to interview at least one veteran in their family or community according to guidelines provided by the Veterans History Project.

I would like to thank all the volunteers from across this country, not only the veterans who have shared their stories, but their family members and friends that have helped to capture their accounts.

Volunteers and participants become historians themselves; they can collect video and audio recordings, create a collection of recordings to be available for public use, or collect written materials relevant to personal histories of all war veterans.

I encourage all Americans to reach out and thank the veterans they know, and their families, for their amazing sacrifice, learn more about their great contributions to our country, gain the wisdom of their personal stories of our Nation's history, and participate in the Veterans History Project.

As the chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee has said, he has had the opportunity to hear many accounts from many veterans. He hears the sense of pride that comes with them, as do each of us who defended our country.

This Veterans Day, and the whole year through, join me and take the time to show your gratitude to those who have answered the call to duty.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman, Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, and all members of the committee, and a special thank you to Representative Ron Kind who introduced this to me.

As a schoolteacher and someone who understands the value of these oral histories, this is an incredible archive. The support of this project cannot be overstated. It is going to be something that will allow generations to come to understand what this country was built upon, and they will have it as a resource to access at any time.

So, again, I thank everyone involved in this project.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 866.

Again, I, too, want to thank Mr. Wamp, Mr. Kind, and everyone involved in this; it is absolutely appropriate as next week we stop to remember Veterans Day. This project does so all year and for generations to come. I urge unanimous support of this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in support of H. Res. 866, which expresses support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our nation in times of war and conflict. I support this resolution because the preservation of our country's history, as told by the men and women of the armed services, is a valuable piece of our nation's heritage and merits our wholehearted endorsement.

The Veterans History Project was established in 2000 by the Veteran's Oral History Project Act, which I was proud to support as a cosponsor. We knew then, as we know now, that the experience of our nation's veterans is a vital part of the history of military conflicts. The Congress unanimously supported the legislation, a testament to the necessity of this effort.

The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress was charged by Congress to initiate and oversee the Veterans History Project. Its task is to engage the public to create a collection of oral histories, which would be available for scholars. The Veterans History Project is operated by volunteer interviewers, partner organizations, and an array of institutions' dedicated to the preservation of the United States' heritage. Interviews with American war veterans and the civilian workers who supported the veterans are conducted according to the guidelines provided by the Project. The Veterans History Project collects the memories and remembrances of veterans who served in World War I, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. So far, the Veterans History Project has collected over 66,000 oral histories, pictures, and diary entries from American men and women who served their country on the battlefield and at home. The stories are made available at the Library of Congress and on the Veterans History Project website for everyone to study and experience.

I would like to acknowledge that there are two official partner organizations assisting this project in my home state of Texas. The first is the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) located in Irving, Texas. The second is the LULAC-Daughters and Mothers Assisting Success Program located in Dallas, Texas. I am proud of the generosity of these organizations that are willing to donate their time to honor veterans and preserve veterans' history.

Veterans History Project Week highlights the need to collect and preserve the personal narratives of the men and women who have served the United States in times of war and conflict. The collection of personal experiences of U.S. service men and women will be a vital part of the historical record that will help future scholars understand the conflicts. There are over 23 million wartime veterans in America whose personal narratives can elucidate both the experience of armed conflict throughout time and the proceedings of the conflicts themselves.

This resolution is a timely reminder of the importance of acting quickly to preserve the experience of U.S. veterans. Approximately 40 percent of veterans are 65 years old or over. Of the 2.6 million World War II veterans who were alive in 2008, we are losing nearly 900 on average each day. We must not let time irreversibly claim the memories that are our nation's heritage.

The Veterans History Project also serves as a tribute to the men and women who have fought our country's battles or supported the effort at home. Collecting and preserving the personal narratives of veterans for historical records demonstrates the importance of the individual experiences. The voices of veterans will be available to be heard by future students of history and their experience will remain alive.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution and the effort to preserve the memory of those who have served our country in times of war and conflict are an invaluable part of preserving our country's heritage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 866 which encourages the designation of a National Veterans History Project Week. This resolution encourages increased public participation in the Veterans History Project.

As you may know, the Veterans History Project collects and saves the stories of America's veterans who have bravely served this country from World War I to today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This project provides Americans an important way to honor our soldiers: by preserving the story of their service, in their own words, for the use and benefit of future generations.

In 2000, I authored and Congress unanimously passed legislation creating the Veterans History Project. Since its inception, the project has collected more than 66,000 stories and documents. In addition, the Veterans History Project was honored by Harvard University as one of the finalists for the Innovations in American Government Award competition in 2005.

Since the beginning of our Nation, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines of the Armed Forces have been called on to risk their lives and fight for the ideals that make America great. Regardless of what one thinks about the wars that they fought in, all Americans must agree that the men and women of our Armed Forces have responded to the call of their country and performed with honor and dignity. War veterans and the civilians who have supported them all across this Nation have stepped forward once again, this time answering the call of civic duty by recording their stories and contributing personal documents for the Veterans History Project. Their participation ensures that their accounts are recorded and preserved, becoming a part of this Nation's memory and history.

By passing this resolution today, we can encourage more participation in this important program and ensure that this vital collection of American history continues to grow even further. Capturing the stories of our war veterans is more important now than ever before. We are losing more than 1,700 veterans every day and with them, their firsthand accounts of that war. It is imperative that we capture the stories and personal histories of those veterans before it is too late. The Veterans History Project is instrumental in accomplishing this important goal.

I call upon all members of this body to publicize and promote the Veterans History Project in their own districts and communities. I cannot think of a better way to honor our veterans than by trying to preserve as many of their memories and stories as possible. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately Monday night, November 2, 2009, and the morning of November 3, 2009 I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 1168, H. Res. 291, S. 509, H.R. 3949, H. Res. 398, and H. Res. 866 due to a scheduled town hall meeting in Cerro Gordo, Illinois.

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 832, on suspending the Rules and passing H.R. 1168, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 833, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 291, Recognizing the crucial role of assistance dogs in helping wounded veterans live more independent lives, expressing gratitude to The Tower of Hope, and supporting the goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 834, on suspending the Rules and passing S. 509, to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 835, on suspending the Rules and passing H.R. 3949, Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 836, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 398, Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift's success, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 837, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 866, Expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation in times of war and conflict, I would have voted ``aye.''

It is my fervent hope that my absence in no way be interpreted as a lack of support and enthusiasm for these important issues and undertakings. Congress' schedule in recent days has been subject to sometimes unpredictable additions and subtractions of days. As the original schedule had established an adjournment date of Oct. 30, 2009, I felt safe in scheduling a town hall meeting the evening of Monday, Nov. 2, for the purpose of meeting with and hearing from my constituents--the voters and citizens who are critical in guiding my votes and my conscience on the important issues we all face.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 866, expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our nation in times of war and conflict. I joined with my colleague, Mr. Kind, to introduce this legislation.

Our Nation loses at least 1,000 veterans every day, and along with them we lose their stories of courage and memories of comradeship and sacrifice. In October 2000, Congress recognized the urgency of collecting these wartime memories, accounts and documents and created the Veterans History Project.

Today we honor all the lives of veterans and the project by supporting the designation of National Veterans History Project Week. We encourage Americans to join in the effort to preserve and honor the service of our wartime veterans by interviewing those in their families and communities to contribute to the Veteran's History Project. It is a unique opportunity to help document the personal accounts of our Nation's veterans for today's generation and future Americans.

More than 600 stories of veterans in the Tennessee Valley have been permanently archived at the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History project. More than 100 of these local veterans' memories were aired on Chattanooga's WRCB-TV. Through WRCB's television coverage, many veterans were inspired to share their stories and more were collected than we could have ever expected. Some of these memories include those of fresh-faced high school graduates who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-day, officers who fought through the Battle of the Bulge and left Europe as decorated heroes, and young women who voluntarily served in the Army Corps of Nurses helping our soldiers heal from their battle wounds. Theirs are the stories we may not have heard if not for the Veterans History Project.

Our Nation's history of freedom is passed down from one generation to the next by American patriots who were willing to stand between a threat and our civilian population. It is essential that we work together to preserve their memories and experiences for future generations who have much to learn from those who have so honorably served our Nation.