On the recordJuly 26, 2010
As the chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I ask all my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 226, to honor our great heroes of the Second World War. We all know that this was the war that was carried out by the ``Greatest Generation.'' And the Spirit of '45 Memorial Day is to set aside for us and our children and our grandchildren and their children to think about the courage and the heroism and of course the victory of the troops who fought on the Allied side in the Second World War. This day of remembrance was celebrated several months ago in San Diego on the aircraft carrier Midway, which is stationed as both a learning environment and as a tourist attraction in the San Diego harbor. One of the great spirits of that day was the nurse, Edith Shain, who was the one who was pictured on the iconic Life Magazine cover of the sailor coming home and kissing the nurse that we all remember as emblematic of the joyous spirit at the end of the war. Edith would go around the country talking about our great heroes. Unfortunately, before we could pass this bill today, she passed away at the age of 91 a few weeks ago. So in her spirit, and in the spirit of all of those incredible people of the ``Greatest Generation,'' we offer this resolution so our country can always remember their bravery and courage.
