The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING AVERY FRENCH OF TURKEY HILL SCHOOL IN ORANGE, CONNECTICUT
______
HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, each year the community of Orange, Connecticut gathers for a solemn ceremony to mark Memorial Day. As part of this ceremony, local elementary school students are invited to submit essays that share their thoughts on Memorial Day and its meaning to them. Submissions from each of the community's three elementary schools are selected to be included in the ceremony. I had the opportunity to join the Orange ceremony this year and was inspired by the words of this year's winners and am pleased to have this opportunity to share them.
Avery French, a student at Turkey Hill School submitted the following essay:
Memorial Day is a special holiday for all Americans. We celebrate and honor all the soldiers who have bravely given up their lives so we could be a free country. We honor those who fought for our country's future generations. All the soldiers we honor today cared about more than just themselves, they thought about us and sacrificed their lives for the future of our country.
Memorial Day shouldn't be confused with the similar holiday, Veterans Day. Veterans Day honors all who have served in the armed forces while Memorial Day honors those who have died in the forces. Memorial Day was originally given the name Decoration Day because of the tradition of people decorating the graves of the country's fallen heroes. Memorial Day was officially titled a federal holiday in 1971. The tradition of honoring the fallen soldiers started the years following the Civil War. The Civil War claimed many lives of the country's soldiers. People held tributes in the late 60's, around the time the Civil War ended, to honor the dead soldiers, leaving flowers and other decorations at their graves. While it is unclear how the tradition started, it was declared by the Federal Government in 1966 that Waterloo, New York was Memorial Day's official birthplace. Quote from History.com, ``On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried there.'' This was very important because it was the first time that people had the ability to remember those who died in the armed forces with others.
We celebrate this holiday known as Memorial Day to remember those who have passed that fought hard. On Memorial Day we will remember those who we will for now and forever remember as America's Heroes. So yes, we celebrate Memorial Day in honor of American soldiers.
For more than two hundred years American soldiers have answered the call to defend our land and our values of freedom and democracy. With annual ceremonies like the one in Orange, that engage our youngest citizens, we ensure that we will never forget that our armed forces have a long and proud history, and that every one of our veterans has demonstrated outstanding courage, dedication, and service. It is my honor to rise today to thank A very French for her very special contribution to Memorial Day and her community.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 110
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up