Sense of House that Americans Should Participate in Moment of Silence Regarding Armed Forces

SENSE OF HOUSE THAT AMERICANS SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN MOMENT OF SILENCE REGARDING ARMED FORCES -- (House of Representatives - March 14, 2006)

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and thank the gentleman (Mr. KNOLLENBERG) for introducing it. No matter what one's views are on the Iraq war, or war in general, our men and women in uniform sacrifice a great deal so that we may live freely.

It is a fact of life that in every war anyone who serves in war runs the very real risk of losing their lives. This is a tremendous burden that few of us can ever imagine. However, from the moment they rise in the morning, every U.S. soldier knows that they could fall in the line of duty that day.

Unfortunately, 2,309 U.S. soldiers have paid the ultimate price in Iraq and 278 have died in Afghanistan. Thousands have died in the wars that the U.S. has fought--Vietnam, World War I and World War II, Korea, Desert Storm and others. All of these soldiers, regardless of when they served, deserve our thanks, our prayers, and our respect.

This burden is shared by not only every man and woman that puts on the uniform, but each of their families, too. In order to adequately honor those that have fallen, we must continue our responsibility to those that they have left behind.

Mr. Speaker, we must show our support for these fallen heroes and their families. This resolution is a small way of showing our gratitude.

I strongly support this resolution and thank our soldiers for their service. My prayers are with those who have lost their lives and their families.

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