Congresswoman Jackie Speier

Memorial Day Address - Golden Gate National Cemetery

It is with an abundance of humility that I join this gathering of American heroes to pay homage to the men and women who have honored our nation with their service and indeed, their lives.

I want to thank the staff and volunteers here at Golden Gate National Cemetery for allowing me to spend this very special day with you.

Memorial Day was first celebrated in 1868 when General John Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, ordered that flowers be placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Ever since, Memorial Day has been a celebration and remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We care not what someone's personal or political feelings are, or even from which side of the

battlefield they fought. Memorial Day is a tribute to those who gave all they could, and left all they had, on the battlefield.

While Veterans Day, on November 11th, allows us to salute all who served in uniform, this day has special meaning - and special weight - because of its focus on those whose sacrifice for the cause of freedom was total and complete.

We are not here to honor war. No one who has faced battle's senseless brutality ever would. No, we pay tribute to our fallen heroes with the hope that others never have to meet their fate. President Kennedy said, "Mankind must find an end to war or certainly, war will find an end to mankind."

For many, Memorial Day is synonymous with the start of summer - a signal that school is almost out, warm weather is just around the corner and family vacations are just weeks away. On the surface, this might seem out of step with the solemnity of the occasion, but it is fitting that we celebrate Memorial Day at this most beautiful and hopeful time of year.

The grave markers before us represent not deaths, but lives. These headstones represent young people who went to war with every expectation that they would return to sweethearts and families and ball games and days at the beach. When you leave here today, enjoy your Memorial Day holiday, not because you forget the sacrifice made to make such freedom possible, but because that is what our heroes would be doing were it not for the unfortunate wrinkle of fate that put them in harm's way.

This cemetery is not a graveyard of regret, but rather a cathedral of ideals. Whether drafted or enlisted, the forces reposing here joined their battles with confidence that their service was for the greater good of their world, their nation and their community.

But we cannot pay tribute to those who sacrificed for us in the past without paying homage to those currently in battle. There are no words I can offer to lighten their burden or make their mission any less dangerous. So instead, I implore you to join me in promising the men and women fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and anywhere troops are deployed that when they come home, we'll have their back - with a robust GI Bill and the best healthcare the world can offer.

A headstone and six feet of earth should not be the extent of the package we guarantee our fighting forces. Like those who served in World War II, our current warriors deserve a full and free college education so they can continue serving America and their families by being productive members of society. So, too, must we promise to

take care of their medical needs. Perhaps the saddest thing about our current wars is how many soldiers return home in one piece, only to perish by their own hands, as victims of depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Today, we are graced, not just with memories, but flesh and blood evidence of the very best our nation has to offer. Major Ted Wong, the commander of San Bruno Headquarters Company, 23rd Marine Regiment, is one of those. He was named Marine of the Year in 2007, not just for his bravery under fire in the Iraqi city of Khalidiya, but for his service to the community here at home, where he volunteers with schoolchildren, oversees a letter-writing

effort for deployed troops, organizes citizens to greet soldiers returning home from battle and visits wounded GIs with traumatic brain injuries at the Veterans' Hospital in Palo Alto.

I also have the privilege of standing with Captain Roland Harris, a member of the United States Army who has been awarded three Purple Hearts for his service to our nation. His courage, shown time and time again, is nothing short of remarkable.

Major Wong and Captain Harris, please add my name to the extensive list of those who have thanked you for your service. Our nation's future standing in the world hinges, in large part, on the perceptions our troops leave when serving in distant lands. I am grateful that men of your character have chosen to represent us abroad. I can only imagine how proud your family is and how fortunate they feel to have you safely back home after so much time away. Our nation can never adequately repay you for your sacrifice. We can only offer our sincerest and humblest gratitude.

I have served in Congress a very short time. But on the day I took my oath of office, I asked my staff to compile a list of those from our area who paid the ultimate price in Iraq and Afghanistan. I carry that list with me, because veterans' cemeteries shouldn't be the only place where heroes are remembered. Those that served and fell deserve more than a small flag and some nice words on

Memorial Day. They deserve our solemn and unabiding guarantee that, from this day forward, the powers that decide when and where we commit our military will think less of politics and economics than they do the lives and families and communities that are devastated by the atrocities of war.

Today, we honor the brave and unselfish men and women who put more than their hands over their hearts when they pledge allegiance to our country. They put their boots on the ground and their lives on the line. And for that, we are forever grateful.

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