Thomas Daschle: “this last weekend, in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, our Nation dedicated a new memorial to the generation of…”

“this last weekend, in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, our Nation dedicated a new memorial to the generation of Americans who fought and won the Second World War. One cannot help but imagine the look of respect and approval coming over the face of the great emancipator, the man who ended slavery in our country, as he looks upon a memorial to those who ended enslavement of an entire continent and gave the world a new birth of freedom. While this honor is long overdue, we must acknowledge that no memorial, no ceremony, no words could match the scope of this generation's achievement. The true monument to their efforts exists not on the National Mall but in the hearts of the hundreds of millions in America and billions more throughout the world who live in freedom thanks to their courage. We are the children of their sacrifice. We have flourished in the Nation they came home to build. The debt we owe them is without end.”