Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to three great patriots, three inspiring women, from the town of Freeport, ME. Their names are Elaine Greene, Carmen Footer, and JoAnn Miller. They are known by our men and women in uniform, veterans, and grateful citizens throughout America as the Freeport Flag Ladies. On September 11, 2001, an act of terror transformed a beautiful Tuesday morning into a day of unfathomable horror. Three days later, President Bush asked grief-stricken Americans to step outside their homes with lighted candles in memory of the heroes of 9/11 and of the nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children who perished. Living on a secluded road, Elaine, Carmen, and JoAnn instead took their candles and an American flag to busy Main Street. Their location quickly began a rallying point for all of Freeport, the site of a spontaneous, heartfelt memorial service. Then they did something even more remarkable. They made a promise to stand with their flags on Main Street each and every Tuesday morning between the hours of 8 and 9, to mark the day and time of the attacks. This coming September 11th will be their final vigil. When that day comes, they will have kept their promise for more than 900 consecutive Tuesdays, in rain, sleet, and snow, in bitter cold and in blistering heat.…
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Mr. President, I am very pleased to yield at this time to the Senator from Massachusetts. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.





