National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Commemorative Coin Act Transcript: Congressional Record June 10, 2008

Mr. LINCOLN DAVIS of Tennessee. The oldest and largest branch of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Infantry was established on June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress ordered the formation of ten companies of riflemen. The riflemen comprised the first armed force of a new nation... a nation destined to become the greatest democracy the world has ever known.

Since that time the Infantry has gone where other forces could not go and accomplished missions others could not attempt. The story of the "Queen of Battle" has been written by individual Infantrymen who have done their duty with pride, courage and honor. Their suffering and sacrifices won our freedom, preserved that freedom for over two centuries, and will guarantee it in the future. Some were called heroes, some were not....but they were all members of a band of brothers who fought for their country and the cause of freedom.

For more than two centuries, the United States Infantry has fought alongside other armed forces to protect our freedom. Their missions have sent them around the world, and literally brought them face-to-face with the enemy. From the siege of Boston in 1775, to San Juan Hill, to the Battle of New Orleans, to the Argonne Forest where Sergeant York distinguished himself, to the beaches of Normandy, they hunted the enemies in the Shua Valley, parachuted into Panama and currently subdue our enemies on cold mountainside and hot desert sands in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

When debate has ceased, when negotiations have failed and orders are given, it becomes the mission to execute our national policy. Their courage, pride and sense of duty to country and each other stood tall above any furor they faced.

But the battle for our freedom has been costly, as many as 80% of all the servicemen and women who have died serving their country were part of the Infantry.

To honor the Infantry's decorated history, the National Infantry Foundation in coordination with the United States Army, have broken ground on a new world-class museum honoring them. Located on a 200 acre site at Fort Benning, Georgia, The National Infantry Museum will serve as a tribute to the Infantry’s legacy of valor and sacrifice. This museum will honor these soldiers for their selfless service to our country, while also preserving for all time the artifacts that so poignantly tell their stories. It will tell the story of our ground soldiers, from the colonial period to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lessons of the past will be retold to help lead us in the future.

Our children must learn and know that there are values and beliefs worth living for and worth dying for; that the freedom and liberty we enjoy today has come at a high price; and that the American values of patriotism, duty, courage and leadership are the hallmarks of the Infantry and must be preserved.

With 290 cosponsors, this bi-partisan legislation honors the legacy of the United States Infantry with the minting of a commemorative coin. Money raised through the sale of the coins will go towards maintaining the National Infantry Museum.

I applaud the efforts of the National Infantry Foundation. Its rich history deserves to be kept alive for all who follow. These heroes are perhaps too humble to tell their own story, so we'll have to do it for them.

I thank the gentleman from Georgia for offering this legislation and I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.