postmaster general donahue, to mrs. inouye, to george the cotto, will -- to george staccato, to john minnick and the distinguished company of veterans from baltimore city, the greatest city in america. to veterans one and all. the spirit of my father. 72 years ago, my parents generation found our nation plunged into world war. theirs was a clear and epic struggle. a struggle that would determine whether or not this government of the people, by the people, and for the people would perish from the earth. here today at the world war ii memorial, encircled by granite stones of american honor, we pause this morning as one nation to pay tribute to our veterans. here the fanfare of the common man. citizen, soldier, american, brother, son, each was asked a question in the snows of korea or the jungles of vietnam, in the deserts of iraq, or the mountains of afghanistan. in the pledge drench us the blood drenched feels of gettysburg or the frozen mud of valley forge, each was asked a question. for family or neighbors, for generations yo