Rod Grams: “Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Normandy, Pusan, Panama, and Kuwait are well-known names in our nation's history. I proudly…”

“Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Normandy, Pusan, Panama, and Kuwait are well-known names in our nation's history. I proudly rise to honor an American institution that has proven its unparalleled greatness time and again in battles such as these. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing today as the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Army. When the Second Continental Congress established the U.S. Army on June 14, 1775, it set forth an organization that has repeatedly faced adversity straight in the eye and never backed down. From fulfilling the promises of the Declaration of Independence to countering Saddam Hussein's aggression in Kuwait, the Army's dedication to our nation's bedrock values and its protection of our cherished freedoms has been exemplary. For more than two centuries, Army personnel have rallied to both defend our American shores and ensure the rights of citizens around the world. The role of a soldier has changed drastically over the Army's rich, 225-year history. Technological and political changes have altered the battlefield landscape, but the core principles the Army consistently upholds have not changed. Those principles were captured by General Douglas MacArthur in his 1962 address at West Point: Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.”