The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING GEORGIANNA ``GEORGIE'' CARTER-KRELL IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S
HISTORY MONTH
______
HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Speaker, in honor of Women's History Month, I rise today to recognize Georgianna ``Georgie'' Carter-Krell, whose dedication to our nation's veterans, amidst her own personal tragedy, has had a significant impact on our country and South Florida.
Born in Massachusetts on August 25, 1932, Georgie and her three children moved to Florida in the 1960s, and they quickly found themselves living in Hialeah. Georgie's only son, Bruce Wayne Carter, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1968 to defend his nation during the Vietnam War. Private First Class Carter served in Company H, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, and was killed in action on August 7, 1969 in the Quang Tri Province. At the young age of nineteen, PFC Carter put the lives of his fellow soldiers ahead of his own, and, when ambushed, used his own body to shield his men from an enemy grenade. He was buried with Military Funeral Honors on August 25, 1969 at the Vista Memorial Gardens in Miami Lakes, Florida.
PFC Carter's heroic act quickly reached the White House, where, in 1971, Bruce was posthumously awarded our nation's highest recognition, the Medal of Honor. In the years that followed Bruce's death, Georgie truly turned her grief into action and became an advocate for our veterans. Initially, she volunteered with her neighbor at the Miami VA hospital and assisted those who had strokes or other injuries which prevented them from feeding themselves. They quickly became known as the Silver Spoons and traveled throughout the nation to VA hospitals promoting this program. Georgie became an integral member of the American Gold Star Mothers, where she served as the National President twice, in 2001 and 2008. With the help of former Congresswoman, and my good friend, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Miami VA Hospital was renamed the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center in 2008.
While Georgie became a steadfast voice for those who needed her most, she continued to regret that her son was buried in Florida and not at Arlington National Cemetery. As a result, Georgie worked with my team and me to have Bruce's remains transferred to Arlington, and, on November 4, 2020, PFC Carter was laid to rest with Military Funeral Honors at Arlington National Cemetery. This act served as an important reminder to all that a soldier's life is always valued, no matter how much time has passed.
Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to know Mrs. Carter-Krell and I commend her for her dedication to preserving her son's memory and her unwavering support for our veterans. Georgie is a true patriot and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this outstanding individual.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 46
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