Political Quotes

“I would like to honor the memory of SGT Felix Norat and his wife, Maria, two remarkable New Yorkers who were interred at Arlington National Cemetery last week. Sergeant Norat was a WWII veteran who served in the Army's 45th Infantry Division. His bravery and heroism earned him a Bronze Star for Valor, as well as a Purple Heart. Maria was a native of Puerto Rico who worked for the War Department in New York City. Maria and Felix were married nearly 70 years, a testament to their love and devotion to one another. I would like to commit their story--a quintessentially American story--to the Congressional Record today. Mr. Norat's unit, the 45th Infantry of the Army, was one of the most battle-tested divisions of the entire war, and Mr. Norat was still among it when the division came to Munich days before the Germans surrendered. Mr. Norat's late wife, Maria, upon moving to New York, rented a room from her future mother-in-law, who noticed Maria's penmenship and asked her to rewrite her letters to her son who was fighting in Europe. Often, Maria would include a note of her own at the bottom of each letter, encouraging Felix and wishing him well. She later recounted, in an interview with the local newspaper, ``I was telling him how proud we were that he was serving this great country and how beautiful that was,'' she said. ``I never thought I was going to fall in love.'' But that is what happened.…”