Senate Floor Statement: Tribute to the Armed Services

SENATE FLOOR STATEMENT: TRIBUTE TO THE ARMED SERVICES
May 1, 2003

Mr. President, I rise this morning to offer a tribute to our men and women in uniform.

I am glad to hear that President Bush will address the nation tonight, to mark the end of major conflict in Iraq and to acknowledge the heroism and sacrifice of our brave men and women in the armed services. I know I speak for the people of Texas, and for all Americans, when I give thanks that this operation has reached such a swift end, with so few lives lost.

Over the course of the April recess, I took the opportunity to visit most of the military bases across my home state of Texas, along with my distinguished colleague, Senator Hutchison. One in 10 active-duty military personnel call Texas their home. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I am dedicated to looking out for their interests and the interests of all military personnel.

We must ensure that the United States military has the training, the equipment, and the facilities they require to remain the greatest fighting force the world has ever known, both in times of war and peace. The military bases we have in Texas are some of the strongest components of our military readiness and the current war against terror - from Afghanistan, to Iraq, and all across the world.

And we must use these valuable assets to maintain our status as the world's lone superpower, as we transform our military to face the challenges of the future.

Seeing our soldiers face to face reminds us that they aren't just statistics or numbers on a page; they are real Americans with real families. When someone leaves home to fight for American interests abroad, it affects their entire community, their friends and their families.

We must remember not just the sacrifices of the brave men and women who fight on the battlefield, but the sacrifices of their families here at home. We must remember the sons who have never seen the faces of their fathers, and mothers who are separated from their children. We must remember families whose loved ones will not be coming back, who paid the ultimate price so that others can live free.

Our own freedom was not won without cost, but bought and paid for with the sacrifices of generations. We must honor the heroic dead, for their courage and their tireless commitment to the dream that is freedom.

I also had the chance to meet with several of the former prisoners of war who had just returned to their homes. My father was a prisoner of war in a German prison camp during World War II. Knowing the impact of my dad's experience, I have sensed a glimmer of the pain, the anxiety, and ultimately the joy the families of these former POWs experienced.

And I know, in time, as both the former captives and their loved ones learn the names of their rescuers, they will express their gratitude in person and continue to be thankful for a nation that recognizes the value of each and every human life.

It strikes me that the Iraqi people's experience was much the same. No doubt, the captivity of their nation was longer, more brutal, more terrible than what our soldiers experienced. The pain of the Iraqi people was immeasurable. But now, at long last, their country has returned to them.

In 1944, Winston Churchill spoke in Royal Albert Hall to the British troops, and reminded them of the greater cause they served. "We are joined together in this union of action which has been forced upon us by our common hatred of tyranny," he said, "shedding our blood side by side, struggling for the same ideals, until the triumph of the great causes which we serve shall be made manifest… Then, indeed, there will be a day of thanksgiving, one in which all the world will share."

There is much work to be done in Iraq. But the difference our forces have made in such a short time is undeniable. Just months ago, the idea that the Iraqi people could live free was perhaps a concept that some found hard to treat seriously. Now, the dream of a free Iraq is in sight. The day of thanksgiving is not here yet - but it is coming, and thanks to the sacrifices of American families and soldiers, it is coming soon.

We, as a grateful nation continue to wish our men and women in uniform God's speed, and hope and pray for their swift return to the loving arms of their families.

Mr. President, I thank you, and I yield the floor.