Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance and honor of Charles Sebes, a beloved figure in Cleveland area politics and a loving husband, father, and grandfather. This past June we gathered to celebrate Chuck's retirement as Parma Democratic City Ward Leader.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Charles Sebes, upon the occasion of his retirement after twenty years of service as the Parma Democratic City Ward Leader. His unwavering dedication to the Party, to his community, and to the rights of working men and women is framed by honor and integrity.

Chuck has spent hundreds of hours volunteering on numerous political campaigns and causes throughout his life. During the past 30 years, Chuck has taken an active role in organizing the Northern Ohio Labor Day Parade. As Secretary of Parma Southwest Cope, Chuck has chaired the reverse raffle committee for the past twenty-five years. He has also been the Chairman of Parma's Democratic Steak Roast for twenty years. Chuck's devotion and enthusiasm consistently inspire those around him and has made all of these events successful.

During his twenty-two years of employment with the National Tool Company, Chuck served as President of the United Steel Workers of America, Local 4827. Governor Richard Celeste appointed Chuck to the Ohio Regional Board of Review for Worker's Compensation. In 1991, Martin Vittardi, Clerk of Parma Municipal Court, appointed Chuck to be the Chief Deputy Clerk of Court. His friendship is coveted not only by myself and Marty, but by numerous individuals whose lives have been touched by his energetic spirit, kindness and loyalty.

As Chief Deputy and Supervisor, his colleagues and staff know him to be a man who is passionate about all aspects of his life. They respect Chuck for his fairness and for being a man of his word. He believes that patience is a virtue and was reassuring that a task would get done, never hesitating to become part of the solution. They appreciate Chuck for always looking out for their best interest, fighting for what they deserve and for being valued by him. His reputation for being a prankster and for his colorful way of telling a joke is legendary. Chuck is a wise and generous man, and he is a true friend to the people in his life.

Evelyn, his wife of 52 years, and their wonderful family have sustained Chuck with a lifetime of support. Joe, Jim, Janet and Joyce, have blessed them with seven grandchildren. Chuck and Evelyn's children and grandchildren continue to be their pride and joy.

In March of 2001, when the Bush administration began to have secret meetings with the oil company executives from Exxon, Shell, and BP, spreading maps of Iraqi oil fields on the desk, the price of oil was $23.96 per barrel, and then there were 63 companies in 30 countries, the U.S. not included, competing for oil contracts with Iraq. Today, the price of oil is $135.59 per barrel; the U.S. Army is occupying Iraq, and the first Iraq oil contracts will go without competitive bidding--surprise--to Exxon, Shell, and BP.

Iraq has between 200 billion and 300 billion barrels of oil with a market value in the tens of trillions, and our government is trying to force Iraq not only to privatize its oil but to accept a long-term U.S. military presence to guard the oil and to protect the profits of the oil companies while they charge Americans $4 and $5 a gallon and while our troops continue dying.

We found the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We found the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and it is oil. As long as oil companies control our government, Americans will continue to pay, and they will pay with our lives, our fortune, our sacred honor.

Yesterday, the value of shares on the Lisbon stock market dropped amid rumors of a military attack on Iran's nuclear research facilities.

The Bush administration has been mindlessly threatening the use of nuclear bunker busters on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Physicians for Social Responsibility have analyzed the effect of such an attack: ``Within 48 hours, fallout would cover much of Iran, most of Afghanistan, and spread into Pakistan and India. Fallout from the use of a burrowing weapon such as the B61-11 would be worse than from a surface or air-burst weapon due to the extra radioactive dust and debris ejected from the blast site. In the immediate area of the two attacks, our calculations show that, within 48 hours, an estimated 2.6 million people would die; over 10.5 million people would be exposed to significant radiation from fallout.''

Do we really believe the best way to deal with Iran's nuclear facilities is to blow them up? Where are our spiritual values? our moral sensibilities? Is diplomacy more dangerous?

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Alvin L. Gray, distinguished Case Western Reserve University alumnus, in recognition of his dedication, advocacy, and promotion of leadership in the Jewish Community and in the Greater Cleveland Area.

Alvin L. Gray was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1928, and carries with him a rich history of public service in the Greater Cleveland Area. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science in 1949 and a Bachelors of Legal Letters in 1951 from Case Western Reserve University and was admitted to the Ohio Bar Association the same year. Mr. Gray works tirelessly to promote leadership skills in the Greater Cleveland community and holds several leadership positions in the numerous organizations he dedicates his time to. He currently serves as Director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and Chairman of the Citizens for the Heights School Levy, is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, serves as Life Director of the Jewish Family Service Association, and is on the Board of Trustees of both the Hillel House and Jewish Community Center of Cleveland. Mr. Gray co- founded the Cleveland Heights Area Project and served as Vice President of the American Jewish Congress from 1974 to 1986. He also was Honorary President, Vice President and President of the American ORT Foundation, and past President of Jewish Vocational Service.

Alvin Gray has been recognized on numerous occasions for his innovative and important work in the Greater Cleveland Area. In 2001, he was inducted into the Cleveland Heights High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame and was awarded the Horace M. Kallen Distinguished Community Service Award from the Jewish American Congress. Mr. Gray was twice awarded the ``Man of the Year'' award, once in 1976 from the American ORT and again in 1986 from the Cleveland ORT.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of Alvin. L. Gray, and in recognition of his outstanding and tireless efforts as a promoter and advocate of leadership in the Jewish Community, as well as for his extensive and diverse service to the Greater Cleveland Community.

When the leadership of this House said back in October of 2006 that impeachment is off the table, what they did is they set the stage for the administration ignoring the subpoenas of the Congress for information. Once the administration understood that they did not have to comply with the law and that Congress essentially took away the one power that Congress has to compel the administration to respect Congress as a coequal branch of government, once that was taken away, the administration basically just decided it wasn't going to appear in front of Congress to answer questions, they wouldn't produce documents or papers that were relevant to congressional investigations.

Congress is a coequal branch of government. It is urgent that we reestablish our coequality, that we create conditions of a check and balance of administrative abuse of power. This isn't a Republican matter, it is not a Democratic matter, it is a matter for our country. We need to have the Congress be strong. We need to hold this administration accountable.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Westlake, Ohio, as they celebrate their one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, and in recognition of the Church's contributions to the community of Westlake, Ohio.

St. Paul Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Lutheran Church-- Missouri Synod, was founded on June 13, 1858 by twenty families living in Westlake, Ohio and has a rich history of public service to the community. The congregation grew from ninety-three members to over 2,500 parishioners and 250 students. The original infrastructure of the Church was replaced on December 14, 1974 with a new brick building, which continues to stand to this day. Expansions to the Church included school facilities and a sanctuary expansion.

St. Paul Lutheran Church offers preschool through eighth grade education and offers art, vocal and instrumental music, technology, and sports activities. The Church also has a variety of ministries, including youth and educational ministries. The Church has never shied from its responsibility to educate, serve, and walk in concert with their congregation as well as the community as a whole.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Westlake, Ohio as they celebrate their one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, and in recognition of the Church's contributions to the community. May St. Paul's devotion to service and faith continue to touch their congregation.

Under this bill, large corporations and big government can work together to violate the United States Constitution, use massive databases to spy, to wiretap, to invade the privacy of the American people. There's no requirement for the government to seek a warrant for any intercepted communication that includes a U.S. citizen, as long as the program in general is directed towards foreign targets.

This Congress must not allow the names of innocent U.S. citizens to be placed on secret intelligence lists. Under this bill, violations of Fourth Amendment rights and blanket wiretaps will be permissible for the next 4 years. Massive and untargeted collection of communications will continue and with the enactment of this bill.

Furthermore, it allows the type of surveillance to be applied to all communications entering and exiting the United States. These blanket wiretaps make it impossible to know whose calls are being intercepted by the National Security Agency.

Let's stand up for the fourth amendment. Let's remember, when this country was founded Benjamin Franklin said, those who would give up their essential liberties to achieve a measure of security deserve neither. Vote against it.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking Representative Maloney for her dedicated work to ensure 4 weeks of paid parental leave for Federal employees. H.R. 5781 is a significant step forward to ensuring the well-being of our Nation's children and parents.

Furthermore, under this bill Federal employees can use up to 8 additional weeks of accrued sick leave in connection with the birth or adoption of a child.

Paid parental leave benefits have many beneficial aspects for our workforce. Perhaps the most important aspect of paid parental leave is that it gives parents the ability to take care of the vital needs of their child without incurring the financial hardships associated with unpaid leave. Working families employed by the Federal Government should not have to choose between their child's well-being and their financial stability.

Paid parental leave has also been shown to provide increased productivity and employee morale. Additionally, it will have the important effect of helping to recruit and maintain the highest quality workforce.

Copious research confirms what common sense tells us: it is important for parents to have time to bond with and attend to the health and development of their children. Our families and communities are better off when parents are able to have this critical time with their children.

I regret that I'm going to have to oppose this bill. And let's look at the numbers: $161.8 billion for the war it keeps going, a war that we all know now was based on untruths. It keeps going a war that has cost the lives of over 4,000 of our brave men and women, tens of thousands of injuries to our troops and over 1 million innocent Iraqis killed as a result of the war. The costs of the war will run to $3 trillion. And here instead of keeping a commitment that we made back in 2006 to end the war, we're continuing it into the term of the next President, and $161.8 billion of this bill will go for the war.

That's actually, of the total bill, 86 percent is going to go for the war, $24.7 billion in domestic spending. How much of this is going for unemployment? Well, $12.5 billion or about half of it over a period of 2 years. How much is going to the veterans? Less than $1 billion over 2 years. So we're using the veterans here and unemployed persons to put forth a war bill that is going to cost $161.8 billion.

We have to establish what our priorities should be in this country. Yes. Getting people back to work should be a priority. Imagine if we put $100 billion into that. Yes. Giving veterans better benefits ought to be a priority. Imagine if we put $100 billion into that. But no. We're putting $161 billion into a war that we know is based on untruths.

It's time that Congress take back its real authority here. And its real authority under article 1, section 8 is to declare war. This administration led us into a war based on lies. It is time for us to regain our ability to create an effective checks and balances, to reclaim our position as a coequal branch of government. You do not do that by continuing to fund this war. You do it by funding education, health care and job creation. That's what the people in Cleveland, Ohio, want. That is what people want all over this country. I'm voting against this.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Martin P. Zanotti, whose life will forever reflect devotion to family and friends, and service to community and country.

Mr. Zanotti's family was central to his life. He was married to his beloved wife, Rose, for 59 years. Together, they lovingly raised their children, Marty, David, Christopher and Mary Beth. He was a doting grandfather to Jacqueline, Rachael, Anthony, Anna, Corey, Courtney, Stephanie, Sarah, Frank, Natalie and Gina; he was a devoted brother to Paul, and a loyal friend to many.

Mr. Zanotti contributed greatly to our Nation and to our community. He was a United States veteran, having served during WWII in the U.S. Army Corps. His abiding commitment to his Catholic faith was evidenced by his long-time involvement in St. John Bosco Church, where he was founding member.

Above all, Mr. Zanotti was a man who lived his faith. He personified the word ``gentleman'' and was a man of integrity, who treated everyone with kindness and respect. Mr. Zanotti's quiet, yet warm nature and quick smile were at the core of his spirit and nothing made him happier than spending time with his family.

Mr. Zanotti attended countless sporting and school events and was there to witness every milestone. He reveled in the achievements of his children and grandchildren, and even most significantly, was their rock of support and encouragement when the chips were down.

Behind the scenes, Mr. Zanotti consistently lent his assistance to help anyone in need. Without fanfare or recognition, as soon as Mr. Zanotti learned of an individual or family in need, he reached out to help in any way he could, without hesitation and regardless of whether or not he knew them.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the life of Martin P. Zanotti, whose spirit, joy for living, service to others and love for his family will live forever in their hearts and memories. I extend my sincere condolences to his family, extended family and numerous friends.

Although he will be greatly missed, Mr. Zanotti's legacy of kindness and giving has made our community a much better place, his joyous life and simple acts of kindness will never be forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Judy Martin, and in recognition of her dedication, advocacy, and promotion of community building in the Greater Cleveland Area. Judy Martin is this year's honoree of the Sixth Annual Beauty and Talent Pageant, presented by the Cleveland Joint Elks' Beauty and Talent Committee.

Judy, a Cleveland resident for over forty years, has been a tireless advocate of non-violence in the Greater Cleveland Area. Following the tragic death of her son in 1994, she became an activist and supporter of Black on Black Crime, Inc; working with the organization as their Secretary and Treasurer. Judy founded her own organization to support others who have also lost loved ones through violence, Survivors/ Victims of Tragedy, Inc. She was instrumental in creating the Memorial Wall/Wall of Sorrows on display in East Cleveland, obtaining ninety- eight percent of the funds necessary to build the wall. The wall serves as a memorial for all children who have been victims of crime in Cleveland since 1990 and she continues working with the community in creating a Memorial Reflection Garden.

Judy Martin is also an advocate of Missing Children and Adults, a member of the Greater Cleveland Million Moms, part of the Brady Campaign to prevent gun violence, and a member of several other organizations including the Cleveland Joint Elks Education Committee, the Pioneer Fez Club, and the Veterans Department.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of Judy Martin for her outstanding and tireless efforts as an advocate of non-violence and promotion of community building in

the Greater Cleveland Area, as well as for her extensive and diverse service to many individuals and families who call the Cleveland Area home.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Phillip Star; a profoundly respected and influential member and civic leader in the Greater Cleveland community; and in recognition for his twenty years of service as Director of the Center for Neighborhood Development (CND) in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

As a civic leader, community organizer, educator and author, Phillip Star carries with him a rich history of public service and advocacy in the Greater Cleveland Area. He earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, an M.A. from New York University, and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University. He has served the community in various leadership roles, dedicating his life to empowering and educating local residents in order to improve the quality of life in Cleveland's urban communities. He began his career in community organizing and neighborhood development as a volunteer in Gary, Indiana with VISTA. Prior to joining CND in 1988, he served as a consultant at University of Michigan's National Housing Institute and Housing Law Reform Project and as director of the Cleveland Tenants Organization.

Since joining CND twenty-years ago, Mr. Star has had a tremendous and lasting effect on our community and all those who have been touched by his work. He has worked to develop future leaders in the field of community organizing and neighborhood planning by instituting year long internships for undergraduate Urban Studies students at various community development corporations, with over one-hundred students being placed in over sixty organizations. Mr. Star has successfully initiated several programs which empower the local community and promote civic engagement, including a mediation program for the Cleveland Housing Court and an online community resource for Cleveland Residents, NeighborhoodLink. Under his leadership, CND was designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs as a community partnership center.

Mr. Star demonstrates his leadership abilities and dedication to fostering community development both in the classroom and in the community. He teaches courses such as neighborhood planning and Cleveland neighborhoods and neighborhood institutions at Cleveland State University and was Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's appointee to the Board of Trustees of the Cleveland Action to Support Housing. His other Leadership positions include serving as President of the Ohio Housing Coalition, serving on the Board of Trustees of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and serving as Acting Judge of the Cleveland Housing Court. Mr. Star is also the founding trustee and past president of the board of Eco-City Cleveland and as president of the board of the Living in Cleveland Center. He currently serves on the board of the Cleveland Tenants Organization and the Neighborhood Housing Service and for eight years served as past chairman of the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of Phillip Star, who has dedicated his life to serving his community and everyone in the Greater Cleveland Area. Let his advocacy on behalf of the welfare of others serve as inspiration for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition of H.R. 6028 and the program it would authorize, Merida Initiative. I would like to thank Chairman Berman for his efforts to ensure that the Merida Initiative received proper Congressional input, as well as his efforts to include human rights protections. I was disheartened once again, last year, when President Bush developed the Initiative without Congressional input or any regard for the well-documented human rights abuses of the Mexican military and law enforcement. However, to address these problems successfully, it will be necessary to address the problem of drug production in Mexico and South America, to address the problem of drug consumption here in the United States, and to stem drug trafficking between the United States and our neighbors to the south. The Merida Initiative does none of these.

Time and again, research has demonstrated that illicit drug production in developing countries stems from pervasive rural poverty and lack of sustainable sources of income. H.R. 6028 falls woefully short of supporting programs that address these issues. The vast majority of authorized funds will go toward equipment and training for military and law enforcement operations; funding for prevention and development programs will come from a much smaller authorization that competes with certain law enforcement initiatives and judicial reforms.

Similarly, research teaches us that drug use in America stems from poverty, lack of access to basic needs, and other psychosocial stressors. Again, H.R. 6028 will accomplish nothing to reduce drug demand in the United States. H.R. 6028 authorizes no money for demand reduction. In fact, H.R. 6028 only requires the President to submit a report on the measures taken to intensify efforts to address our Nation's demand-related aspects of drug trafficking.

Moreover, interdiction efforts that address exclusively the trafficking aspect of the drug problem have little effect. Most often, the consequence of such intervention is an increase in price and slightly diminished amount of drugs in circulation, which does almost nothing to reduce demand. Enterprising drug dealers will find a way to get their product into the hands of users, and users struggling with addiction will go to extreme ends to get their fix.

More money for guns and other tools of destruction will do nothing to ease the suffering of those struggling with addiction or alleviate the social problems that compel people to produce and/or traffic drugs. For those reasons, I cannot support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Richard Louis ``Dick'' Ashbrook--devoted family man, accomplished scientist, peace and social justice activist and humanitarian.

Born in Philadelphia, Dick graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in metallurgical engineering. He earned his master's degree from Carnegie Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from Case Institute of Technology. In 1961, Dick and his wife, Mary, moved to Brook Park where he worked for NASA's Lewis Research Center doing research on high temperature alloys and ceramics. He was also a consultant with Brush Wellman.

He was active in civil rights and fair housing through the Berea Area Council on Human Relations. He participated in countless peace vigils as a member of the Peace Community Church. He was an early member and long-time manager and roadie of the Cleveland area contra dance band, Mud in Yer Eye, in which he played concertina, bones and other rhythm instruments. He volunteered in the book-mending lab at Oberlin College and was an active member of SPINACH (Senior People Interested in Nutrition and Community Health). He also volunteered at the Second Harvest warehouse.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor, gratitude and remembrance of Dick Ashbrook--an exceptional man, scientist and leader whose life reflected accomplishment, caring and joy. I offer my deepest condolences to his devoted wife, Mary, beloved children, Anne (Tom) Fitzpatrick, Connie (Martha Landowne), Peggy (Darryl Francois), Janet (John Dunn), Ellen (Ann Adams), Nico Ashe (Andrew Poltzer) and eight grandchildren. Dick Ashbrook's legacy, both personally and professionally, will be remembered by family, friends and colleagues.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Illinois and Mr. Issa. I rise in strong support of H.R. 6150, the bill that renames the post office at 14500 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, as the ``John P. Gallagher Post Office Building.'' I would like to again thank the chairman of the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and District of Columbia Subcommittee and his helpful staff for working with me on this bill.

I am proud to have sponsored this bill to honor Mr. Gallagher's lifetime of devotion to public service. Let me share with you the story of this man who was a member of what Tom Brokaw called ``The Greatest Generation.''

This is a quote from an article that was published on June 6, 2004. The subheading was, ``Like dwindling World War II comrades, vet shuns hoopla.''

``John P. Gallagher is one of the men we honor today. He is a proud veteran, but is also impatient with the embroidery and rhetoric that lingers after the smoke clears and the dead are buried.

``So the man who dodged bombs, bullets and a bad heart was asked whether he's a hero. `No,' he said in his modest room amid medals, patches and other mementos. `You did your job. That's all.'

``He was a combat engineer. He helped clear obstacles at Utah Beach before the infantry came ashore. His service is a virtual core sample of the big moments in the European theater.

``He was in North Africa after General Eisenhower led the Operation Torch Landings, in Sicily briefly, and then in Italy for the Rome-Arno campaign. He was at the little-known place in England called Slapton Sands, where GIs practicing for the invasion of France were surprised and slaughtered by German torpedo boats. Then there was Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes region of Belgium, and a Rhine River crossing.''

For his service in the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, along with the other members of the brigade, he received an exceptional honor during World War II. Charles de Gaulle, then the General Army and Chief of State, Major General of National Defense for France, sent this commendation for John Gallagher's unit: ``For exceptional services of war rendered during the course of the operations for the liberation of France, the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, including all units assigned or attached, which were part of the Assault Force U and which were engaged in the assault on Normandy beaches, this citation is of the order of and confers the Croix de Guerre with Palm, May 25, 1945,'' signed Charles de Gaulle.

This was a much-decorated unit, but this was a man who after he finished his service to our country he then went to serve our country in another way, at the city of Cleveland.

He was employed by the city of Cleveland for 30 years. He worked his way up to become Superintendent of Sidewalks. Those of you who are familiar with big cities can understand that when a city has thousands of miles of sidewalks, it is very important for those who deliver the mail, as well as people in the neighborhood, to have someone who pays attention to make sure that this infrastructure is kept in shape. That was John Gallagher's job. He served for six mayors of Cleveland, and he did such a good job that when he retired in 1987 he was honored by the city of Cleveland in a special commendation from then-Mayor John Voinovich.

Mr. Gallagher is someone whose service to the community went far beyond his work for the city of Cleveland. He was one of the primary advocates for the inclusion of programs for seniors in the city of Cleveland's Gun and Recreation Center. He actually led the charge to create new programs for senior citizens.

His home is across the street from a city park where he actually for the neighborhood for years has kept an eye on the park. He has been a lifelong parishioner of St. Vincent DePaul Parish, and he is a fixture each and every week, he has been a fixture until he came into ill health, volunteering as an usher at the 5:30 mass. He is someone who comes from a very strong Irish heritage. His father, who was a Cleveland policeman, was actually born in County Mayo, Ireland, and John lived with his father and took care of him for many years before he passed. John is very involved in the Irish community and is someone who has great respect across the city of Cleveland and throughout Cuyahoga County.

When we name post offices, we often name post offices after very famous people, after people who are politicians and are in public service, but we don't often get the opportunity to recognize the work of someone who, a World War II vet who served his country with honor, who continued in public service for many years and who today, like so many members of that greatest generation, just kind of wait their turn to be called to an even higher service.

This is a great opportunity for the House of Representatives to show that the kind of people who make up this country, that the kind of people who have served this country and made it the great Nation that it is, deserve recognition. And so for that reason I put forth this bill honoring the life and service of John P. Gallagher through naming this post office after him.

Madam Speaker, in furtherance of describing the kind of man that we are honoring here today, when the war was over and people went back about their business, John Gallagher had this idea that he should bring together all of his brothers who served together under these conditions of World War II and to find a way so they could reconnect. And so he was in charge of organizing this group. And for a period of 1963 all of the way through the year 2000, a period of 37 unbroken years, this band of brothers came together year after year after year under John Gallagher's leadership and organization and renewed not just their friendship but their dedication to the cause of service to their Nation.

John Gallagher also participated in a very important endeavor where he helped to organize his friends from across the country from the 1st Engineer Special Brigade to raise the funds to erect a monument which was on a German pill box on Normandy Beach in France with contributions from members of the 1st Engineer Special Brigade and under supervision of the brigade commander.

And inside the walls were plaques bearing the names of the men of the unit who died in battle.

The time comes when this generation will fade into memory. But those individuals who are still alive need to be forever reminded of the great gratitude that this country has for them, not just putting their lives on the line, but the youth of their lives on the line, for showing a continual love of country, for showing love for each other and their fellow soldiers.

I am so proud to be here to ask for your support because, in recognizing John Gallagher, we recognize all those who served who still remain with us for serving through their love of country.