On the recordJuly 27, 2017
I had the honor last week of welcoming a group of American heroes who journeyed from northeast Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., aboard the Old Glory Honor Flight. Generations of veterans, representing every major conflict since World War II, visited the very monuments that honor their courage and commitment. Just as these vets visited their respective memorials, so, too, should the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve in the ongoing war on terrorism in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the war that I was fighting 8 years ago. They, too, should have something to honor their sacrifice. Under current law, a war must be over for at least 10 years before a memorial can be built in its honor. That is why Representative Moulton and I have introduced legislation that would allow for a global war on terrorism memorial. This war is unlike any preceding it. It has no end date. There will be no victory date, no V-J Day. Threats continue to rise, and so the longest ongoing conflict continues. After 15 years, and over 6,800 American lives lost, there is still no end in sight. This memorial is for the brave men and women who have died fighting, who continue to fight, and are still joining the fight against terrorism. If we are going to continue passing the torch from one generation to the next, we need to build this memorial so that future generations never forget their duty to do the same and to pass that torch. Farm Technology Days
