Patrick Leahy: “the dedication of the long overdue World War II Memorial is a moment in time that we will always remember. I am so…”

“the dedication of the long overdue World War II Memorial is a moment in time that we will always remember. I am so pleased that many Vermont veterans from the WWII will be on hand for this solemn, and triumphant, occasion. No monument--even one so grandly placed as this gleaming tribute in stone is, between the Washington and Lincoln Monuments--can fully capture the full enormity of the service and sacrifice of the 16 million soldiers, sailors, airmen and others who served in uniform during those 5 years of war and struggle. Yet with its marble expanse, majestic pillars, and carefully chiseled engravings, this memorial will forever stand as a symbol of the Nation's appreciation for those who served and for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. World War II was truly an epic struggle. It was a struggle that would determine the very direction of humanity, whether militarism and Nazism would supplant freedom and democracy. Every American soldier understood the purpose and the stakes of that war. They unwaveringly answered the call to duty, they won the war, they returned home, and then the greatest generation soldiered on further to also win the peace. We in Vermont often pride ourselves on our healthy skepticism of centralized government. Yet we are early and arduous in rallying to the Nation's defense in disproportionate numbers to our relatively small population, from the Civil War onward.”