Roscoe Bartlett: “I rise today to urge the unanimous support of my colleagues for H.J.Res. 42. This resolution simply requires Federal…”

“I rise today to urge the unanimous support of my colleagues for H.J.Res. 42. This resolution simply requires Federal Government entities to fly the American flag at half staff on Sunday, October 7. I ask my colleagues and all Americans to extend this extraordinary honor in conjunction with the annual memorial service in honor of fallen firefighters by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in the district I have the great privilege to represent in the House of Representatives. The October 7 service is the highlight of the foundation's annual weekend of events to honor the sacrifice of firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. Particularly this year, we honor the hundreds of firefighters in New York City who on September 11, 2001, gave our country what President Abraham Lincoln called the last full measure of devotion to our country. This is the very least that we as individuals and as a government can do to honor and commemorate the selfless call to duty by these brave men and to offer some small measure of comfort to their grieving families, friends, relatives, and coworkers. Madam Speaker, we owe it to them, ourselves and posterity to ensure that their deaths shall not be in vain.”