Gold Star Families Voices Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4511, the Gold Star Families Voices Act. This bill will allow Gold Star Families to share their stories with the Veterans History Project, and to be remembered for generations to come.

Gold Star families exhibit tremendous strength as they continue on without their loved ones. They deserve to have their voices heard and recorded to the Veterans History Project, to tell their children's courageous, heroic and meaningful stories for them. Our fallen should not be forgotten, and their stories must be memorialized to share with future generations.

When I think of the strength that Gold Star Families exhibit, I immediately think of Ray and Leesa Philippon and their family. Their son, Lance Corporal Lawrence R. Philippon tragically lost his life on May 8th, 2005, on Mother's Day and Leesa and Ray's anniversary.

Lance Corporal Philippon committed to fighting for his country shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was a part of the Washington D.C. Color Guard, and bravely gave up his position to join the 3rd Battalion Second Marines as an infantryman. They were deployed to Al Qaim, Iraq. Lance Corporal Philippon was killed in action when he was only 22 years old.

The Philippon family has taken their grief and found strength. They have founded the Lance Corporal Lawrence R. Philippon Memorial Fund, which presents awards to local high school students and has funded 200 cleft palate surgeries through Operation Smile.

They have made it their mission to share their son's story, and help other families to remember their sons and daughters who were lost too soon in war. They recently helped organize the visit of the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance to their hometown, West Hartford, CT, to help families heal.

I would also like to recognize another Gold Star Mother, Mary Kight. Mary Kight is the President of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. She lost her son Michael while he was deployed to Vietnam in 1967. He had been a helicopter pilot and was killed in a helicopter accident, three months after being deployed.

Mary struggled with coming to terms with Michael's death. The anti- Vietnam War movement made her feel like Michael had lost his life for nothing. She didn't join the Gold Star Mothers for decades, but she has now found comfort in them.

Gold Star Families like the Philippons and the Kights deserve to have their loved ones' stories told, to memorialize their sons and daughters, but also to help their families heal.

On October 25th, a memorial will be revealed that is dedicated to Gold Star Mothers at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. This statue of a Gold Star Mother is joining the Fallen Star Memorial there.

In addition to honoring our Gold Star Families with physical memorials, we should also honor their words and stories.

I strongly support the Gold Star Families Voices Act. This bill will give the Gold Star Families the important opportunity to share their memories of our fallen. These service members have given the ultimate sacrifice, and we owe them the opportunity to have their voices heard, even though they can no longer tell their own stories.

I want to thank Congressman Chris Smith for his hard work on this bill, to honor those who have fallen.

I strongly support this legislation and urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass this bill so it can be sent to the President's desk.

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