Thomas Daschle: “over the past 4 years, our nation has gained a renewed awareness of the bravery and sacrifice of America's service men…”

“over the past 4 years, our nation has gained a renewed awareness of the bravery and sacrifice of America's service men and women. And through the exceptional valor they have routinely displayed, America has also gained a renewed sense of gratitude for the service of our veterans. So it was with a heightened sense of respect and appreciation that America commemorated the recent anniversary of D-Day and Memorial Day, and dedicated the long-overdue memorial to the generation that fought and won World War II. The veterans who came to Washington expecting to find one tribute cast in stone, encountered many living tributes, just as meaningful, and just as enduring. Americans of all ages, of all backgrounds, said ``thank you'' to the veterans who fought for them. Some gave gifts of American flags. Others asked for pictures. I recently heard a story about two World War II veterans who were eating dinner at a restaurant, when a young man they had never met thanked them, and struck up a conversation. He asked about their service, and told them that two of his relatives didn't make it home from Europe. When it came time for the two older men to pay the tab, they found that the young man had already paid it. He left a card that said, ``To two old guys who paid the price, but who are not going to pay today.'' The memory of our veterans' achievements will live on long after them, and all Americans should feel proud that, in this way, we have kept faith with our veterans.”