Declaring Emporia, Kansas, to be the Founding City of the Veterans Day Holiday

DECLARING EMPORIA, KANSAS, TO BE THE FOUNDING CITY OF THE VETERANS DAY HOLIDAY

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, this resolution declares Emporia, KS, to be the founding city of Veterans Day. In addition, the resolution recognizes the contributions of Alvin J. King and Representative Ed Rees from Emporia, KS, to the enactment into law of the observance of Veterans Day.

On October 8, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, also a Kansan, signed into law a bill changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. President Eisenhower stated, "On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain."

With the soon-to-be return of our service men and women from the war in Iraq, Veterans Day takes on a new meaning. These men and women who serve in Iraq today, join the other millions that have come before them. I am proud that President Eisenhower, Representative Rees, and Alvin King, all from the great state of Kansas, took the idea for the celebration of Veterans Day from conception to fruition.

Emporia, KS, organized and celebrated Veterans Day in 1953, one year before the rest of the United States. Alvin J. King, the man behind the idea, was a shoe cobbler in Emporia. Mr. KING befriended many veterans, thus realizing that we needed a national holiday to commemorate all veterans of all wars, not just those of World War I. With support from the community of Emporia, Mr. King took his idea to Washington. There, he found a close ally in Representative Ed Rees, who introduced a bill to change the holiday. Mr. Rees said, "The United States has now been involved in many great military efforts, and each has produced its number of veterans. We all realize that it would not be feasible to establish a national holiday to commemorate the closing of each war. This legislation does not establish a new holiday. Rather it expands an existing holiday so that we may honor all veterans at the same time."

On November 11 of each year, we pay tribute to our veterans. Americans, as in all wars have rallied behind the men and women who went off to defend the American way of life. And, as some of those soldiers returned, we embraced and thanked them for their sacrifice. And for those that did not come home we remembered them in somber ceremonies, silent prayers, and grieving moments. On November 11 we pay reverence to anyone that has wore the uniform. We should, also, recognizes the shoe cobbler from Emporia, who had a vision for a national holiday; a representative, who listened to his hometown; and a President, who a veteran himself, saw the completion of this idea.

I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution.