Cleaver offers tribute to last World War I veteran

In his weekly EC from DC column, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo. pays tribute to the last World War I veteran:

This week, I was proud to announce that Congressman Ted Poe (TX-3) and I have introduced H.R. 938, which would establish a World War I Centennial Commission and dedicate the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri as the National World War I Memorial. The bipartisan agreement to introduce the bill is in tribute to Mr. Frank Buckles, the last American veteran of World War I, who passed away on February 27, 2011.


Congressman Poe and I had competing bills in last Congress. I was able to achieve passage of the bill to designate the Liberty Memorial the national memorial by the House of Representatives in the 111th Congress. All but one Member voted for the bill. The Senate was unable to achieve passage of the measure before adjourning last year. This session of Congress, Congressman Poe and I have joined forces.

H.R. 938 is a bipartisan measure, and a fitting tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in defense of liberty in the war to end all wars. (insert picture of Frank Buckles)

For more than eighty years, hundreds of thousands of veterans of World War I, and their families, have come to the Liberty Memorial to remember lost friends and loved ones. As we remember the life and passing of Frank Buckles, the last of the World War I veterans, we will gather and bow our heads, like generations before, at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City. Dedicated by the Supreme Allied Generals and consecrated by the President of the United States, the citizens of Missouri have long kept the sacred memory of those who sacrificed in the Great War.

The bill I have introduced with Congressman Poe reflects the Liberty Memorial’s place as the nation's monument to the honored dead of World War I. It has memorialized their sacrifice since 1926, a time when the wounds were still fresh from the battlefield. Thousands have cried and prayed for their loved ones in the shadow of the Liberty Memorial. Designating the Liberty Memorial as the nation’s memorial to the veterans of The Great War recognizes that with the passing of Mr. Buckles, ours is the only memorial that those who served ever saw. H.R. 938 will confirm the nation’s commitment to the Liberty Memorial, and the men and women it memorializes.”

As America approaches the 100th anniversary of World War I, the bipartisan sponsors emphasized that it is important to establish a commission that will properly honor the Americans who sacrificed and risked their lives in the war. In response to this need, H.R. 938 also creates a centennial commission based in Kansas City comprised of twenty-four members appointed from across the country. The commission will help organize businesses, and state and local governments to develop and execute centennial programs.

I invite you to join me tomorrow to honor of Mr. Frank Buckles and the 4.8 million Americans served in the Armed Forces during World War I, as the nation will once again gather at the Liberty Memorial tomorrow, Saturday, March 12, 2011, at 10 a.m.

This free, public event will include an address by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard B. Myers, United States Air Force.

The outdoor ceremony will last approximately one hour and will take place regardless of weather conditions. Seating is limited. From 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., free shuttles to the Museum will run from the parking lots at the southwest and northwest corners of 27th & Warwick. The U-shaped driveway leading to the Museum will be reserved for handicapped parking only. All other attendees are encouraged to use the shuttle service provided or to park on legally designated streets or parking lots near the Museum.

I hope to see you there to honor the memory of these brave men and women.