National Pow/Mia Recognition Day
Floor Speech
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Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, did you know that more than 40 million Americans have served in the Armed Forces since our Nation's founding?
From Yorktown to Gettysburg, from San Juan Hill to Saipan, from the Leyte Gulf to Tora Bora, America's sons and daughters have heroically answered the call to protect our precious freedoms and defend the cause of liberty, both at home and abroad.
Each one had a duty to serve, but our duty, Mr. Speaker, is to remember.
On September 15, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we remember the more than 500,000 prisoners of war who endured the horrors of enemy captivity and faithfully served through severe suffering and incomprehensible trauma.
We remember the tens of thousands of brave patriots who are still missing in action and have yet to return home safely to the warm embrace of their families and loved ones.
This week, from sea to shining sea, thousands of ceremonies will take place in an expression of solidarity. Balloons will be released, and moments of silence will be held.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans will gather to honor the lives and deeds of our greatest American heroes in church yards, national cemeteries, and town squares, and a black and white flag will fly proudly.
All of this is good and fitting, but our patriots deserve a special place of honor because of their selfless dedication, unmatched valor, and unsurpassed devotion to our Nation's values.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I have introduced legislation which will designate the POW/MIA Memorial and Museum at Cecil Field in my Congressional District in Florida as a national landmark to honor, connect, inspire, and educate the American people about prisoners of war and those missing in action.
This memorial will give Americans a unique opportunity to honor the immense sacrifice made by our POWs and serve as a powerful reminder of the servicemembers whose fates are still unknown.
Mr. Speaker, we will never be able to repay our debt to those who have given their last measure of devotion for the spirit of America, but we can continue to do our duty: To remember.
On POW/MIA Recognition Day and every day, we, the people of the United States, with a grateful heart salute those who endured great dangers in the hands of the enemy and those lost in service to our Nation. THE POWER OF PEOPLE AND POSSIBILITIES
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Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, think about the following motto: ``The power of people and possibilities.'' It embodies a belief that everyone has something to contribute to our society and that meaningful employment helps people achieve the American Dream.
I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to recognize the people that are committed to this goal, Challenge Enterprises of North Florida, and the AbilityOne program.
Challenge Enterprises is an organization established in 1972 in Clay County, Florida, that presently employs--get this--more than 305 constituents in my district.
They employ over 100 people with disabilities as a result of the AbilityOne program, the largest employment program for persons with disabilities.
I have been there, Mr. Speaker. I've seen firsthand how AbilityOne enhances the quality of lives. Work changes lives. That is what everybody should have; a reason to get out of bed, a reason to go to work.
The program teaches hardworking individuals to load our Navy ships with provisions, to staff the IRS mailroom, to stock shelves, to pull grocery orders for our military personnel, to clean Federal buildings, and to maintain over 70 acres of grounds.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I thank the staff, employees, and volunteers of Challenge Enterprises and the AbilityOne program for helping my constituents in northeast Florida become productive, self-reliant citizens of their community and seeing the worth and value of every individual.
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