|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
H. Con Res 32- “Honoring the members of the U.S. Air Force killed in the terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers
|
| May 20th, 2008 |
| |
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of the passage of H. Con Res 32 which honors the members of the United States Air Force killed in the June 25, 1996 terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. This year marks the twelfth anniversary of the terrorist bombing which killed nineteen members of the United States Air Force, and injured over three hundred Americans. On that fateful day in 1996, a truck bomb exploded outside the fence around the Khobar Towers compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The bomb, estimated at more than three thousand pounds, detonated about eighty-five feet from a residential unit housing U.S. troops, killing nineteen U.S. Air Force servicemen and wounding hundreds of other Americans.
The force of that explosion destroyed or damaged six high-rise apartment buildings and shattered windows throughout the residential compound. Today, we honor the nineteen airmen who gave their lives in the service of our great nation. This Congress joins me in paying tribute to those men, who are individually recognized in H. Con. Res. 32.
Madam Speaker, it is important to note that twelve of the nineteen men killed in the attack were based at Eglin Air Force Base in my district. Several of the airmen – along with their families – were constituents. These brave men, like the men and women currently serving in our military today, were on freedom’s watch - prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our nation. As we approach Memorial Day, it is only fitting that we remember the nineteen airmen killed at Khobar Towers as well as the many brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom and security. It is my sincere hope that all Americans will give pause and honor these heroes for their sacrifice.
As we look back to twelve years ago, we know that the Khobar Towers bombing was a pre-cursor to the terrorist attacks on the USS COLE, the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and the current global war on terror that we fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. No matter where our troops are stationed, we recognize that they are prepared to defend our security, American values, and the American way of life. It is my hope that we can prevent future attacks like the one at Khobar Towers as we aggressively fight terrorism all across the globe.
I want to personally express my deepest appreciation to the families of these heroes who were killed at Khobar Towers. We can never undo the tragedy that you have lived. We can never ease the pain that I know is with you each and every day. But I would hope, and I know my colleagues join me in this hope, that with the adoption of this resolution, they will take from our action some solace in the fact that we do not forget the contributions and sacrifices of their loved ones. They were much more than airmen to you; they were your sons, your fathers, your brothers, and your loved ones.
Madam Speaker, our action on this resolution sends the message to the families of those who died, to our nation, and to the rest of that world, that we honor the sacrifices of these nineteen airmen and the families they left behind. They served with the highest distinction and professionalism which is indicative of our military. No one could have served better or given more.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me and the fifty cosponsors in support of this resolution. I reserve the balance of the time.
|
| |
|
|
There are no Floor Speechess to be displayed for this month.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
