OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

The Purple Heart

Date: Sept. 8, 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Military Personnel


THE PURPLE HEART -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 08, 2004)

Ms. MCCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, the Purple Heart is a decoration symbolizing true sacrifice in defense of the United States. Since the days of Gen. George Washington, the Purple Heart has decorated the uniforms of hundreds of thousands of American heroes, including those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for America's freedom.

Last week in New York, at the national convention of our president's political party, the Purple Heart was mocked and disgraced in a tasteless display. Some delegates to this convention transformed the symbol of the Purple Heart into band-aids to minimize and diminish the wounds received in battle during the Vietnam War by their political opponent.

With American men and women fighting and taking casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan today, the Purple Heart is not a band-aid or a joke, but a true symbol of sacrifice. My support for America's military's men and women and the veterans who have served this nation, given their blood and their lives for our freedom, is absolute. These heroes and the Purple Hearts which honor their sacrifice deserve our respect, never abuse or cynical displays of ridicule.

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