Pelosi, Congressional Delegation Visit Florence American Cemetery for WWII Soldiers

Pelosi, Congressional Delegation Visit Florence American Cemetery for WWII Soldiers

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Contact:Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami, 202-226-7616

Florence, Italy â€" Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a Congressional delegation today paid their respects to the more than 4,400 American World War II soldiers buried at the Florence American Cemetery on the outskirts of Florence. Speaker Pelosi and members of the Congressional Delegation laid a wreath in remembrance of the fallen soldiers, with an inscription that read: "From the people of the United States."

Members of the Congressional Delegation also visited the grave sites of fallen soldiers from their states. Speaker Pelosi, along with fellow Californians Congressman George Miller and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, placed a rose on the grave of Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Roy Harmon, who was killed on July 12, 1944.

"Every American owes our troops a deep debt of gratitude for their service and their sacrifice," said Pelosi. "Today, we honored the fallen American heroes who fought and died during World War II. They will always be remembered."

In addition to the Speaker, the following members of the delegation are: John Larson, Democratic Caucus Chair; George Miller, Chair of the Education and Labor Committee; Rosa DeLauro, Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture; Ed Markey, Chair of Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; Anna Eshoo, Chair of the House Select Intelligence Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management; Michael Capuano, Member of the House Financial Services Committee; and Bill Pascrell, Jr., Member of the House Homeland Security Committee.