On the recordMay 21, 2024
As we recognize Memorial Day, we remember and honor the over 1.1 million Americans who have given their lives while serving in the Armed Forces. These men and women are heroes. The American story is not told without recognizing the price that they have paid to ensure our continued freedom. In Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, we understand the terrible price that freedom costs. It was in Gettysburg, following the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, that President Lincoln said we must: ``take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.'' In the western part of our district, Cambria County was home to both United States Marine Corps Sergeant Michael Strank and U.S. Army Captain Harry Cramer. Sergeant Strank was one of the marines who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima. He was killed several days later during heavy fighting on that island. Captain Cramer was a Green Beret, one of the Army's most highly trained warriors who, in 1957, would become the first American casualty during the war in Vietnam. These stories are very representative of the men and women across our country who have made the ultimate sacrifice. This weekend, amid graduation parties and summer barbecues, please take a moment to recognize these brave men and women who swore an oath to defend our Nation and gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our freedoms. ____________________
