Speech of Senator Lugar Lugar Speech Commemorating 10th Anniversary of VHP Thursday, September 30, 2010 U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar delivered the following remarks at an event commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening.   I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to join all of you gathered here today to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Veterans History Project. I appreciate Dr. Billington’s kind introduction, and it is important to note that the remarkable growth of the Veterans History Project over the last ten years would not have been possible without his important stewardship as well as that of Colonel Bob Patrick.                              I am also pleased to be joined here by Kathryn Lerch of the Park Tudor School in Indianapolis who, along with her students, has partnered with my office to interview countless veterans. Also with us is Brian Markle of Frankfort, Indiana. Brian and his late wife Jeanne have both had memories of their experiences in the service preserved here at the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History Project.   This celebration is especially timely in light of my visit on Monday with Matthew Kinsey, a paratrooper from Rockville, Indiana, who tragically lost his right foot while leading his team during his second deployment to Afghanistan. Matthew, like so many servicemembers, is a bright, capable young man who volunteered to join the Armed Forces at a time of great turmoil around the world. He knew he would have to deploy in short order and he prepared for that deployment with vigor. After his first fifteen months in Afghanistan, Matthew returned to Fort Bragg and his unit quickly resumed preparation for his second deployment. I know that this rapid tempo was difficult for Matthew and his fellow soldiers as well as for their loved ones such as Matthew’s lovely mother, Sherry. Since early June, Sherry has joined the remarkably capable doctors, nurses, and therapists at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in caring for Matthew. Unless he were to show you his prosthesis, one would not be able to tell that Matthew had been wounded so grievously just four months ago.   In spite of the challenges that Matthew faced in his service and the many challenges he now faces in his rehabilitation, it was humbling to see the dedication that Matthew continues to show as he completes his rehabilitation and now, at age 25, prepares to resume his studies next fall. Future generations of Americans have much to learn from Matthew’s commitment to the nation he volunteered to serve as well as the resolve he shows in each of his undertakings. It is for this reason that I asked a member of my staff to sit down with Matthew and his mother so that his story could be preserved as part of the Veterans History Project.    Matthew’s story, along with those of nearly 9,500 other Hoosiers that have been collected by my staff and partner organizations, will serve as a resource to generations of family members, academics, and all Americans who simply want to learn more about those who have served our nation in uniform. I remember fondly the day eight years ago when I delivered the 500th interview to the Veterans History Project, and we are now just 500 interviews away from ten thousand. I look forward to each additional opportunity to work with the Library of Congress on this important project, and I wish each of you continuing success in your important service and scholarship.   ###