Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Marie Jordan Speer, who passed away at 98 years of age in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 19, 2019. Marie's kindness and compassion touched the lives of those around her, and through her various achievements, she served her community well. In 1942, she married Mr. Edward Jordan, but 2 years later, he was drafted to fight in World War II and heroically, but tragically, died in combat. Marie ultimately used her suffering and loss to help others. She founded the Gold Star Wives of America in order to comfort and create a community for other widows who had lost their husbands in the war. The first meeting she organized was a lunch with other military widows from town. This lunch morphed into a small volunteer group, which, in time, grew into a national organization that today has 35 chapters throughout the United States. The Gold Star Wives not only provide comfort and support for families who have lost loved ones; on Capitol Hill, they fight to secure victories for the spouses and children of fallen soldiers. We owe these families a debt that we cannot repay. Their husbands and fathers have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our country. Today, and every day, we pray for God's peace for these families. Marie continued to work on behalf of the Gold Star Wives, eventually settling in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she started three local newspapers and became heavily involved in the Coastal Bend community.…”