House and Senate pause to honor military service

Pride and gratitude replaced partisan bickering on the floors of the House and Senate this morning as lawmakers saluted dozens of active military members and veterans for the annual military and veterans appreciation day.

Several lawmakers swapped business suits for their old military uniforms or fatigues in marking the day. And for a couple lawmakers – Rep. Joe Rice and Sen. Steve Ward – those uniforms weren’t even that old. Both recently returned from serving in Iraq.

“Thank you to you, to your fallen comrades, to your families and to the families of the fallen for your outstanding service to our nation,” Rice, a Democrat from Littleton, said in a speech on the House floor. “We are proud of you, and we honor you.”

Both chambers passed a resolution recognizing the day.

In the House, a military choir sang the national anthem and a color guard carried the American and Colorado flags to the front of the chamber. Men and women in dress uniforms or fatigues lined the edge of the House floor. Legislators took turns sharing stories of their parents’ military service, their children’s military service and their own service.

Ward recognized two men he has served with, leading to a standing ovation for both. Rice drew attention to the Army’s 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, stationed at Fort Carson. He told the story of the group’s slow, dangerous effort to bring peace to a neighborhood in Baghdad where residents lived in fear and terrorists dumped be-headed bodies daily in the neighborhood market.

On just one day, the group lost five soldiers. But, Rice said, their sacrifices have reaped benefits. Today, he said, the neighborhood is relatively safe and the market is thriving.

“Frankly and bluntly, they cleaned up a pretty big mess,” Rice said. “It is now the responsibility of our nation to develop and implement a plan to capitalize on the chance that they have given us. To ensure the security in Iraq for our own nation’s security and to meet our moral obligation to the Iraqi people themselves. The rhetoric of both extremes is wrong.”

But Rice quickly steered away from politics and back to tribute, as did other speakers.

“You have sacrificed much but never given up,” said Rep. Stella Garza-Hicks, R-Colorado Springs.

“To the men and women in uniform and their families, I, we, all of us owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude,” said Rep. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora.

The tributes continued in the Senate, closing when Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, called for a moment of silence to remember the fallen. The senators rose and stood silently. And as they did, the only sound in the chamber was that of bells ringing out at a nearby church.

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