Sam Brownback: “I rise today to recognize an activity that is going on in my home State of Kansas that I think is quite commendable.…”

“I rise today to recognize an activity that is going on in my home State of Kansas that I think is quite commendable. Thirteen veterans from Fort Scott, KS, have expanded the lifespan of the Fort Scott National Cemetery by about 35 years through their hard work and dedication. I point this out because I think this is what America is all about. It is about a can-do atmosphere and about people taking it upon themselves to do something that they believe is not getting done; and making it happen. With about 1,100 World War II veterans dying every day, many veterans cemeteries are struggling to accommodate veterans' burials. That is true in my State as well. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, by 2008, the annual number of deaths of veterans from all U.S. conflicts will reach 620,000, or about 1,700 a day. Fort Scott National Cemetery is one of 12 Civil War national cemeteries. It was dedicated in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. I grew up just north of Fort Scott, about 40 miles away. It was an old Indian fort early on. Then it was used, obviously, as well, during the Civil War. In a concession to make space for veterans wanting to be buried at the Fort Scott National Cemetery, burial spots are currently being made smaller, and sloping land that originally was deemed unusable is now being used.”