Angie Craig: “in my capacity as a Senator and chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I rise this evening to pay tribute…”

“in my capacity as a Senator and chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I rise this evening to pay tribute to two men who were bookends of what has been termed the ``greatest generation,'' those Americans who served in World War II. One stood behind the lens and took that famous photo on Iwo Jima that became the iconic picture of the war in the Pacific. The other gave up his life in front of the lens and laid his life on the line in the cause for freedom in Europe. I speak, of course, of the photographer Joe Rosenthal and the famed actor Glenn Ford. Both men died a few weeks ago, and it is fitting that this body, the Senate of the United States, recognize these great men for their contributions. Most Americans instantly know that image Joe Rosenthal captured: the photo of five marines and one Navy corpsman raising the flag--the American flag--over Iwo Jima. That image became the basis for the Iwo Jima Memorial which rises above Arlington National Cemetery and a copy of which greets those who enter Quantico Marine Base in Virginia. That image was also made into a postage stamp, not once but twice, and inspired the creation of at least two major pictures: ``The Sands of Iwo Jima'' starring John Wayne and the new movie, ``The Flags of Our Fathers,'' produced by Clint Eastwood, which will debut in a few weeks.”