In the spirit of Memorial Day, I want to take this opportunity to honor those who have sacrificed their lives in our nation's wars. Our friends and neighbors across North Carolina observe this holiday with backyard cookouts, shopping sprees and family trips to the pool or the beach. While those activities are important, Memorial Day is about so much more. Memorial Day brings us to the final resting-places of the men and women who gave their lives to defend the liberty Americans cherish. For each of us, freedom is a way of life, a legacy left to us by our nation's founders. Throughout our history, we have paid a heavy toll for the rights and freedoms cherished by our nation.

Americans have observed Memorial Day since the Civil War. Those who died for our nation were brave people who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. They came from every walk of life. They were our friends and neighbors, our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, our sisters and brothers. They were ordinary and extraordinary all at once, and every American should take a moment this Memorial Day to honor their sacrifices.

On this Memorial Day, I am pleased to inform you about progress we have made in Washington to honor the men and women who served our nation during World War II. On May 15, the House passed H.R. 1696, a bill to expedite the construction of the World War II memorial in Washington, DC. I proudly voted to pass this important bill. More than three million World War II veterans have died since Congress approved a national memorial to them in 1993, yet work on the memorial has yet to begin. The Memorial is a tribute to their service, as well as a permanent reminder for all of us about the eternal value of freedom and the price that was paid to secure it. This month's release of the movie Pearl Harbor has raised awareness of the events involved in America's entry into the war on December 7, 1941. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was quick but effective. The attack left 2,403 people dead, 188 planes destroyed and our Pacific Fleet crippled. This devastating military setback rallied the nation's resolve to win the war. Men and women from every corner of the country and from all walks of life joined in the just cause for victory over the Axis Powers. I am pleased that all Americans will join to honor their sacrifice this Memorial Day.

As your Congressman and a veteran of the United States Army, I look forward to joining with family and friends to observe Memorial Day. On this day, we gratefully honor those who have fallen defending our great nation and the contributions they have made for us. May God bless the men and women in service to our great nation of past, present, and future.

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