{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://pelosi.house.gov//news/press-releases/pelosi-remarks-at-congressional-gold-medal-ceremony-honoring-world-war-ii-civil", "Pelosi Remarks at Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring  World War II Civil Air Patrol", "2014-12-10", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Nancy Pelosi", "P000197", "pelosi.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks at a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony honoring the World War II Civil Air Patrol.\u00a0 Below are the Leader\u2019s Remarks: \n\u201cGood afternoon. \u00a0Thank you for that beautiful rendition of America the beautiful.\u00a0 My favorite verse is the one that begins, \u2018O beautiful for patriot dream/That sees beyond the years.\u2019\u00a0 That\u2019s what our Civil Air Patrolmen did.\u00a0 Major [General Joseph R.] Vasquez, Former Congressman Lester Wolff \u2013 I\u2019m so honored to be here with you, as I am to be with our Speaker, who made this all possible, Leader Reid, Leader McConnell, Congressman McCaul, and thanks to you and Henry Cuellar for introducing this legislation.\n\u201cTime and again across our history, at the darkest and most desperate hours of national need, everyday citizens have stepped forward to confront the enemy and defend our country.\u00a0 Our nation faced harrowing months after our surprise entry into World War II. \u00a0As has been mentioned, this week marks the anniversary of the observance of Pearl Harbor. \u00a0Even after President Roosevelt\u2019s efforts to ready the nation, our military was not as prepared or equipped, and was unable to match the Axis war machine.\n\u201cGerman U-boats prowled the Gulf and the East coast with near impunity \u2013 taking a grim and terrible toll on ships and tankers even within view of American beaches and cities.\u00a0 Yet once more, at this time of national emergency, thousands of Americans from across the country took it upon themselves to buy time for the cavalry.\u00a0 As the minutemen had rushed to arms in the Revolutionary War to protect their towns and win our liberty, so too did the civilians of the Civil Air Patrol rush into the skies to guard our shores and drive back the forces of tyranny.\n\u201cSome too young, some too old, some too infirm for the military, these men and women would not be denied the opportunity to use their aviation skills in the service of our country.\u00a0 Many of you and others who were with you then left jobs and shuttered businesses; they traveled to ramshackle airbases and slept in converted chicken coops \u2013 they tell me; they worked without pay or for a bare-bones per diem each day \u2013 just to risk your lives and climb into small civilian aircraft to scan the waves for ships, survivors and submarines.\n\u201cCivil Air Patrol planes were the guardian angels of our shipping \u2013 flying even when weather grounded the military.\u00a0 Your constant presence in the skies spotting, harassing and attacking submarines gave the nation time to mobilize and played a critical role in restoring security to our coasts and pushing the U-boat menace back out to sea.\u00a0 Reflecting on this part of the Civil Air Patrol\u2019s contributions to the war effort, the then-Commanding General of the Air Forces said: \u2018If it had done nothing beyond that, the Civil Air Patrol would have earned an honorable place in the history of American air power.\u2019\n\u201cBut you did do much more, as Representative McCaul said: training cadets, patrolling the border, watching for forest fires, leading search and rescue missions, delivering essential parts and medicine, testing civil air defenses and towing targets in dangerous live-fire anti-aircraft exercises.\n\u201cBy the end of the war, the civilian men and women of the Civil Air Patrol had flown 750,000 hours of missions. \u00a065 volunteers had given their lives on active duty. \u00a0\u2018Semper Vigilans\u2019 cries the motto of the Civil Air Patrol.\u00a0 Then as now, \u2018always vigilant,\u2019 ever ready to rush to the rescue for our country.\n\u201cYour service honored the finest traditions of our military. \u00a0Your legacy inspires the Civil Air Patrol\u2019s continuing commitment to our country.\u00a0 Your sacrifice embodies the indomitable spirit of Americans that defines our history.\n\u201cToday, it is our honor \u2013 in the heart of our democracy, in this Capitol of the United States \u2013 it is our honor and privilege, joining with House and Senate leadership and so many people \u2013 to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II veterans of the Civil Air Patrol \u2013 and to recognize the flying minutemen and women of the 20th Century. Thank you.\u201d\u00a0\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://pelosi.house.gov//news/press-releases/pelosi-remarks-at-congressional-gold-medal-ceremony-honoring-world-war-ii-civil"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6134388279169798, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}