This week, Secretary Martinez, HUD staff and National Congressional Chartered Veteran Service Organizations came together at HUD Headquarters for HUD's 2002 Memorial Day Ceremony. The event was a tribute to the men and women of America's military services who died to keep us free, and the many others declared Missing in Action. Speaking to a crowd of HUD employees and members of veterans' groups, the Secretary said:

"On Monday, Memorial Day, in thousands of communities across our nation, citizens will pause and honor the Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country - those who were killed in combat while serving in the United States Armed Forces. This year, far too many new names have been added to that list. They were our spouses, members of our families, and our friends� and they chose to serve our nation in the military because they knew it was something they had to do. They trained, traveled home on holiday leave, went off to war� and never came back. They are missed, and their memories will always be with us - especially on Memorial Day.

"This year, we pay special tribute to the victims of September 11th and all those who have died fighting the war against terrorism. Whether the soldiers we have lost since that September morning were killed in the mountains of Afghanistan or at their desks in the Pentagon, they died as heroes. Their lives, however brief, have become powerful symbols of who we are as a nation, and why we cherish the freedom the terrorists hope to extinguish.

"We also honor those men and women who are still missing in action and unaccounted for in distant lands. Nor have we forgotten our disabled and homeless veterans and their families.

"President Ronald Reagan said, 'Freedom is not something to be secured in any one moment of time. We must struggle to preserve it every day.' We take those words to heart each Memorial Day as we honor the heroes of war, to ensure that they - and the pursuit of freedom for which every American soldier bravely fights - are not forgotten. It is with a deep sense of honor and respect that I join President Bush, his Administration, and the entire HUD family in expressing our sincere and abiding appreciation to those who served and those who died. On this Memorial Day, they continue to be with us� and through their sacrifice, help us to remember the true meaning of the word 'American.'"

Since last year, at the request of Secretary Martinez the American Flag and the POW-MIA Flag have flown, proudly, over the HUD Headquarters Building 24 hours a day, seven days a week. William E. Pittman, Director of HUDVET, presented a POW-MIA flag to Secretary Martinez for his leadership and commitment to America's veterans, including those who today are homeless; American military listed as Missing in Action; and HUD's Veterans Advisory committee.

Memorial Day is an appropriate time to focus on HUDVET, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Veterans Resource Center. It serves as a comprehensive source of information about HUD resources and services for veterans, active duty military, and their families. The Center provides useful information on homebuying, rental housing assistance, help for homeless veterans, and other important community and veteran-specific services.

HUDVET is a unique source of information, created at the request of congressionally chartered Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and Veterans Advocacy Organizations (VAOs). In cooperation with leading veteran's groups, HUDVET produces a Resource Directory and also maintains a comprehensive web site. Both the Directory and the website provide an easy-to-use breakout - on a state-by-state basis - of the organizations and services available to veterans. Both were designed to help veterans, current military members and their families make full use of HUD's programs and services and become more deeply involved in building their communities. HUDVET has experienced representatives available by calling 1-800-998-9999 (TDD 1-800-HUD-2209), or hudvet@hud.gov.

This Memorial Day weekend, all HUD employees are encouraged to join with Americans across the nation to take part in a Memorial Day commemoration, visit a military cemetery, or take a few moments for silent contemplation to pay tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Memorial Day honors all those in our history who died to preserve and defend our freedoms - freedoms that allow us to reach for the American Dream today.