Capitol Monitor ....
Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Fourth District of Virginia 

October 27, 2006

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In this Issue

1. To be so Grateful

2. First Step in Securing Our Border

 

 

 

:: To be so Grateful ::     

The memoir starts simply: “I am 77 years old and in the process of writing my life story. This story is written mostly for my two sons and my grandchildren so they and future generations may know about the times in which I lived and some of the events that shaped my life.

For almost 60 years my life has been something of a storm and heavy emotional toll. But the many and diverse people throughout my life have made the course worthwhile. In this story, I hope to recapture people, times, and places and experiences in my life along with the family I was born into that I think might be interesting to someone else.

Because I have had an unusual life, I hope to leave some recording of where I've been and what I've done. I alone can validate how I lived because I am custodian of my story and that story is perishable. Sometimes I wish I could stand back and be more detached from this story. My memories have exacted a heavy toll on my own personal life and still do.

In this writing I am taking parts from my memoir so you can realize the anxiety, the fear, and the heartbreak that so many of us felt at the time. I am relying a great deal on personal memory. Although I pride myself on recall, I know others may remember events in other ways. I have found that out by conflicting stories I've read in so many histories of World War II. Of all my memories, there are two that cannot be disputed because I was there and almost 60 years later, they are as vivid as though they happened yesterday. I'm sure there is no such thing as ultimate forgetting. Traces once impressed upon one's memory are indestructible and often recalled.”


The memoir continues to tell the story of Bruce Fenchel, beginning at age eighteen, who fought all five of the major battles of Europe under the command of General Patton. Blasted in a tank explosion at Chaumont, he hung onto a gas truck with frozen hands long enough to be dropped at a Belgian family home and pub, where he was hidden in the attic. After fierce battles at Bastogne and the Rhine River, he witnessed terrifying sites of torture apparatus and death when his division liberated the Ohrdurf Concentration Camp. Years later he would return to Germany to witness the very places he had liberated.

Bruce Fenchel’s recollections are just one of thousands captured in the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. This unique project, which I am proud to sponsor, is designed to develop a national collection to capture the experiences of war veterans from all service branches.

 

In a world that is quick to dismiss the experiences of others in pursuit of the adventure of tomorrow, there is no better way to honor and give thanks to our nation’s veterans than to have their personal experiences recorded as part of the permanent historical record of our nation. The Veterans History Project collects and preserves audio- and video-recorded oral histories from America’s war veterans and those who served in support of them, along with other first-hand materials such as memoirs, photographs, diaries, and letters. The project also presents an online National Registry of Service listing the names of all individuals from whom the Veterans History Project has received oral histories.

When Congress created this project, it imagined broad public involvement - with grandchildren interviewing their grandparents, students talking with veterans and home-front supporters in the community, veterans interviewing each other, and libraries, museums, and civic groups starting their own projects. To date, over 800 national, state, and local organizations have been named Official Partners of the Veterans History Project.

Please join me in helping to ensure that the stories of Virginia’s Fourth District veterans are preserved in this important project. If you are a member of a veterans association, military installation, library, or museum, please encourage your organization to become an Official Partner by agreeing to assist in promoting the project, encouraging volunteers, and developing public programs that support the program’s objectives. If you know a war veteran please consider interviewing them for this important national project.

Instructions and guidelines for your participation are available at my website, http://randyforbes.house.gov, or by calling the Veterans History Project at 1-888-371-5848.

Bruce Fenchel ends his memoir as simply as it started: “All this has helped me to accept the reality I saw as a boy of eighteen and coming out a seasoned veteran before my 21st birthday. I should be so grateful.” In actuality, however, it is us that should be so grateful. And we are.

*Photo courtesy of Bruce Fenchel. Pictured: Fenchel with a fellow soldier during his time of duty.

 

:: First Step in Securing Our Border ::  
 

This Thursday marked a promising step forward in the battle for immigration reform. President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law, authorizing the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the border. In addition to this physical fencing, the Secure Fence Act authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to modernize the border by increasing the use of advanced technology like cameras, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a time where securing our border is vital to our nation’s overall security, we need to take a common-sense approach towards finding a solution. I believe one of the first ways to do that is to secure our southern border with a protective barrier. I am pleased that Congress, along with the President, has made this small but important step towards achieving one of our goals in immigration reform.

The federal government has a responsibility to make sure we know who is coming into our country, and securing our borders is the first step in doing so. But it doesn’t stop here. There much is more to do, and just as you demanded action in securing our borders with a fence, I encourage you to continue to contact me with your concerns on immigration reform by visiting my website http://randyforbes.house.gov.

ON THE HILL ....

Current Floor Proceedings

Bills Coming Up This Week

Monthly Whip Calendar

OFFICE LOCATIONS ....

307 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202.225.6365

505 Independence Pkwy, Suite 104
Chesapeake, VA 23320
757.382.0080

2903 Boulevard, Suite B
Colonial Heights, VA 23834
804.526.4969

425 H. South Main Street
Emporia, VA 23847
434.634.5575

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