Schakowsky Commemorates Memorial Day

SCHAKOWSKY COMMEMORATES MEMORIAL DAY

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) delivered the following remarks today at a ceremony to commemorate Memorial Day. Congresswoman Schakowsky participated in the Park Ridge and Norwood Park Memorial Day Parades.

"Today we honor those who lost their lives in service to our country. We share the grief of those who were left behind. We are not just the beneficiaries of their bravery. We are the steward of their sacrifice.

As we celebrate Memorial Day, the thoughts and prayers of all Americans are with the families who have lost a loved one and also with our servicemen and women in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 3,400 brave, young Americans have died in Iraq, and nearly 400 in Afghanistan. In Illinois we currently have 8,784 troops deployed there. 135 have made the ultimate sacrifice. I am doing all I can to provide them the protection they need while they are there, and to bring them home safely to their families as quickly as possible.

I had the honor last week, of hosting the 10th Annual Women in the Military wreath laying ceremony held at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

It was solemn occasion, begun 10 years ago by my colleague Juanita Millender MacDonald who herself died just a few weeks ago. We dedicated that ceremony to her.

It was her idea to give recognition to the women who, throughout the history of our nation, have stepped forward to proudly and courageously participate in military conflicts from the Spanish Civil War in 1898, until today when 22,812 women are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of these women risked their lives. Some lost their lives. Next Monday our nation will officially observe Memorial Day, but today I want to take this solemn moment to honor and remember our lost sisters.

In times past, women largely served as nurses near the field of battle. Today more than ever, women are engaged in all aspects of our military, playing essential roles alongside their male counterparts. The 62 women fallen in Iraq by the end of 2006 exemplify this. They served as military police, truck drivers, intelligence analysts, helicopters pilots, medics, mechanics and kitchen managers.

At our ceremony, we honored four exemplary women from different branches of our military. We wanted all of them to know that the women of Congress including the first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, stand with our women in the armed services. We stand ready to advocate for active duty women, veterans, and their families. We know there are issues needing attention that apply to all our service men and women, but there are some that unique to women and we have a special obligation as Congresswoman to address those.

Let me end by reading a poignant quote provided by the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation. "Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom; that our resolve was just as great as the brave men who stood with us; and with victory, our hearts were just as full and beat just as fast; that the tears fell just as hard for those we left behind."