E2300 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 20, 2008 

[From fleursdelamemoire.free.fr] 

A TRIBUTE

(By Claude Lavielle) 

Worse than death, is to be forgotten . . . 

So that this never happens to those to whom 

we owe so much, the association ‘‘Les Fleurs 

de la Memoire’’ (Flowers of Remembrance), 

came to life. It happened on December 15, 

2000, in Saint Lo, a city which, after the 

June 6, 1944, bombing raids, was called the 

Capital of Ruins. 

Since that day, along with our members, 

we have paved the way along memory’s 

roads. These paths of memory lead to the 

American military cemeteries where those, 

swept along by the Star-Spangled banner, 

listening only to their courage, came to offer 

their life, so that we could reclaim our freedom. 

At the core of Les Fleurs de la Memoire, 

the 720 members, put aside their differences, 

religious beliefs, and their origins, share the 

same gratitude towards the GI’s who repose 

at Colleville-sur-Mer or Saint James. 

Together, on Memorial Day or individually 

on any other day of the year, we come to 

meditate, in silence, or in prayer. Then, in 

an affectionate gesture, as would a godparent for their godchild, allowing the heart 

to speak, we place flowers at the base of the 

headstone. 

It is not uncommon to see grandparents, at 

times moved to tears, accompanied by their 

children and grandchildren moving along the 

rows on the way to find ‘‘the’’ grave. 

Once at the gravesite, their heads filled 

with images. . . . All listen, all meditate. 

Is it the sound of the breeze? . . . Rather, 

isn’t it the sound of the souls, the living 

memory of the dead speaking to our subconscious? . . . Then the terrible sounds of 

combat invade the mind . . . those unbearable sounds of bombs which explode . . . the 

whining cry of diving planes . . . the agonizing cries of the suffering. All the horrors of 

war assault our memories. 

Finding the spirit of those who died for 

that we may live in a better world, kneeling 

in front of the headstone, placing these flowers, is this not a profound appeal for peace? 

That is, I believe, what each person feels 

when coming to execute their pledge towards 

our association, ‘‘Les Fleurs de la Memoire’’. 

A humble pledge always accomplished with 

the infallible faith and immense fraternity 

with those whom we honor. It is true we 

have so much to say to you who sleep forever 

in our Normandy soil. Yes, so many things, 

which however must be resumed in one word: 

‘‘Merci.’’ Yes, ‘‘Thank You. Always!’’ 

f 

TRIBUTE TO MARY FRANCES 

HILLOW 

HON. WM. LACY CLAY OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize and honor Mary Frances Hillow, a 

distinguished student at Visitation Academy located in Town and Country, Missouri. Mary 

Fran continues to excel in and outside of the 

classroom. 

Mary Fran is an outstanding student. She 

shows a passionate drive to achieve academic 

excellence. Mary Fran is also a member of 

National Jr. Honor Society. The national junior 

honor society is one of the Nation’s premier 

organizations established to recognize outstanding high school and middle level students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS 

serve to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character (and 

Citizenship for NJHS). 

Aside from her academic endeavors, Mary 

Fran is also an established varsity golfer at 

Visitation Academy. She dedicates at least 10 

hours every weekend to improving her golfing 

techniques. Mary Fran began playing her first 

18 holes of golf in December 2007, just 10 

short months later, she finished 10th in the 

Missouri State Golf Tournament. Mary Fran 

again excelled on the golf course by winning 

her second tournament after beating the second place player by 11 shots. 

Mary Fran’s athletic achievements as a golfer have landed a varsity position for Visitation 

Academy, something unusual for a freshman 

to achieve. She is one of five players on the 

varsity team. Her team was undefeated for the 

2008 season and won the state district tournament by 56 shots. 

Again, Mary Fran excelled at the State District golf tournament with a 17 hole lead and 

ended in a tie for first place at 3 over, 75. Her 

team’s score was an impressive 309 at the 

State District tournament. This is the lowest 

score ever recorded in Missouri history. 

Mary Fran played in the Missouri State Golf 

Tournament October 20–21, 2008. She was 

one of the few freshman players in the tournament. Her team won the tournament by 55 

shots and Mary Fran was the number 2 player 

on her team. Individually, Mary Fran finished 

the tournament in 10th place out of an astonishing 120 players. 

Madam Speaker, Ms. Mary Frances Hillow 

has my absolute highest recommendation to 

be honored today. I admire her demonstrated 

commitment to academic excellence and her 

accomplishments as a golfer and team player. 

I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring 

such a wonderful Missouri student athlete. 

f 

HONORING THE HOLY ROSARY 

CHURCH OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT AS THEY CELEBRATE 

THEIR 100TH ANNIVERSARY 

HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO OF CONNECTICUT

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Ms. DELAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with 

great pleasure that I rise today to extend my 

heartfelt congratulations to the Holy Rosary 

Church, its staff, and congregation as they 

commemorate their 100th Anniversary. This is 

a remarkable milestone for this community 

treasure and certainly cause for great celebration! 

In the late nineteenth century, Italians began 

to settle in the City of Ansonia and within a 

few short decades the Italian population had 

risen to the hundreds. Families began to seek 

their own religious center and so they approached the Assumption Parish to request 

the use of the church and it was graciously 

granted. The first mass was celebrated on October 4, 1908 and as this was the first Sunday 

of October, it was also Rosary Sunday—and 

so the title was found, the Holy Rosary 

Church. 

The Holy Rosary Church has not only been 

a center for religious worship, but a vehicle 

through which their members could give back 

to the community. The St. Ann’s Society for 

women, the St. Joseph’s Society for men, and 

the Children of Mary Sodality for young 

women were all quickly founded following the 

establishment of the church and they were 

later joined by the Catholic Men’s Club, the 

Catholic Women’s Club, the Rosary Guild, and 

the parish’s Catholic Youth Organization. The 

societies can be credited with bringing the annual feasts honoring patron saints to their 

neighbors as well as succeeding in raising the 

capitol funds needed not only to purchase the 

property on which the church resides, but also 

to completely renovate the church several 

times throughout its history. 

Our churches play a vital role in our communities— providing people with a place to 

turn to for comfort when they are most in 

need. The members of the Holy Rosary 

Church have also given much to the City of 

Ansonia. Throughout the years, as their membership grew so did its commitment to the enrichment of this community. By strengthening 

our bonds of faith, the Holy Rosary Church 

gives its members a place to find their spiritual 

center and to solidify and support their values. 

In its 100 year history, the Holy Rosary 

Church has built a strong foundation and its 

success is due to the dedication and commitment of each and every member of its congregation. Through their ministry and outreach 

efforts, they have left an indelible mark on our 

community and continue to enrich the lives of 

others. That is why I am so pleased to stand 

today to offer my sincere congratulations as 

they mark this very special centennial anniversary. The families, parishioners, and staff have 

much to be proud of as they celebrate this 

100th anniversary year. 

f 

CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION 

FOR MILITARY ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS 

HON. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Ms. GIFFORDS. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to pay tribute to five retired United 

States Generals who, for the past two years, 

have served as members of my Military Advisory Council. 

These distinguished Americans have served 

the Nation as leaders of our Armed Forces. 

They continue their service in our community. 

I am fortunate to have the benefit of their advice on military affairs. 

As a member of the House Armed Services 

Committee, I have often turned to my Military 

Advisory Council as we considered legislation 

and appropriations to meet the needs of our 

Armed Forces. I have benefited immeasurably 

from their knowledge and experience. 

I commend them for their commitment to 

our men and women in uniform and thank 

them for making their expertise available to 

me. They are: General John Wickham Jr., 

former Chief of Staff, United States Army, 

General Donald Shepperd, former Director, Air 

National Guard, General John Cronin, former 

Deputy Commander, Fleet Marine, General 

Bill Van Dyke, former Adjutant General, Arizona National Guard, and General Ronald 

Shoopman, former Commander Arizona 162nd 

Fighter Wing. 


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