Ehrlich on Washington column, May 26, 2002

MEWS ГНОМ Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1407 York Rood, Swf» 304 LulbtrvilU, Maryland 2 1 093 315 Cannon Hoot* Office Building Wathington, D.C 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of May 26, 2002 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Honoring Memorial Day In A New Light Millions of Americans recognized this year’s Memorial Day in a far different light than in recent years. Not since the Gulf War have we honored this sacred day while our own countrymen were engaged in a full-scale war. This year we remember the lives of 3 1 brave Americans who died in Afghanistan, each of whom joins the fallen heroes of generations gone by in our hearts and minds. These young men and women were honored in small towns and big cities across the nation this weekend, just as our forefathers have done for more than a century and a half for their own fallen countrymen. Memorial Day has a long and sacred history in America. The U.S. Congress established a Memorial day following the Civil War to remember the more than 600,000 Americans, from both the North and South, who died defending their freedoms. Originally known as Decoration Day, this holiday was a time for folks to visit cemeteries and reflect on the human toll inflicted on the country by that war. As the generations passed, and more Americans lost their lives in wars great and small, this day became a time to honor all Americans who fought and died in service to this great nation. This past Sunday, I joined friends, neighbors, and veterans at the Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens for Memorial Day. We were joined by many of the families of the 1 7 seamen who were killed by terrorists aboard the U.S.S. Cole in October of 2000. We also kept in mind 26-year-old Staff Sgt. Walter F. "Trae" Cohee III - Maryland’s first casualty in Operation Enduring Freedom. My commitment to America’s armed forces and veterans is as strong now as ever before. In my final term in Congress, I will fight to ensure that Congress provides America’s fighting forces with the best housing, best training, and best war-fighting abilities in the world, so their missions are completed with accuracy, efficiency, and minimal risk for our fighting men and women.