[Blindvet-talk] House Passes Tiahrt American Braille Flag Memorial Bill

[Randolph Cabral]

Please read and share.  Your support is requested with helping to get your
U.S. Senator to sponsor this Bill in the Senate.

The memorial will be completed within the next several days, at which time
it will arrive at the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute.  The
Institute will personally deliver the memorial to Arlington.  A ceremony
will be held at Arlington National Cemetery within the next few weeks, and
you will be undated.

Thank you for your support, and for addressing this Bill to your U.S.
Senator.

Randolph

Gentlemen - the Bill has passed.  Thanks for all your help.  Now we turn
to the Senate.



Best regards,

Jim
James L. Richardson
Office of Congressman Todd Tiahrt

________________________________

From: Congressman Todd Tiahrt [mailto:todd.tiahrt at houseenews.net]
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 4:04 PM
To: Cook, Wendy
Subject: House Passes Tiahrt American Braille Flag Memorial Bill



February 14, 2008





Representative Todd Tiahrt,
Fourth Congressional District of Kansas
<http://tiahrt.houseenews.net/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=clickthru&gpiv=19
99913155.108684.39&gen=1&mailing_linkid=3186>

Fourth Congressional District of Kansas

Website
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February 14, 2008

Contact: Wendy Cook  202.225.6216

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

or Sam Sackett   202.225.6216



House Passes Tiahrt American Braille Flag Memorial Bill

WASHINGTON - U.S. House of Representatives today passed a bill sponsored
by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Goddard) authorizing the placement of an American
Braille tactile flag in Arlington National Cemetery honoring blind
members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and other Americans. The flag
will be placed in the Cemetery's Visitor's Center.

"Arlington National Cemetery is a national place of remembrance and
honor for our Nation's veterans, and visited by an estimated 4 million
people annually," said Tiahrt. "Placing the Braille American Flag in the
Cemetery will bring honor to our nation's blind community and allow our
blind veterans to "see" the American Flag again."

Currently, the United States has over 1,000,000 blind and low-vision
veterans. The Department of Defense estimates that 16% of those injured
in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom suffer from
severe vision loss. An additional 10-12 million Americans have blind and
low vision.

However, prior to the creation of the Braille American Flag the American
flag was not accessible to the blind. This flag, created by the Kansas
Braille Transcription Institute, in Wichita, Kansas, has been specially
designed in a way that informs the blind of the full color of the
American flag, 13 stripes, and fifty stars on the blue field.
Additionally, this tactile flag bears the American Pledge of Allegiance
in both raised print and Grade One Braille

"We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our veterans, and this simple action
will mean much to our patriotic blind veterans," said Tiahrt.

Rep. Tiahrt from the House floor thanked four people instrumental in the
completion of this project:

John Metzler, Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery, for all his
cooperation and ensuring that this effort will enhance, not detract,
from the Cemetery.

Randy Cabral, President of the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute,
for his help in the design of the Braille American flag.

Kevin West, a student at Wichita Area Technical College, who created the
drawings and special casting for the unique bronze replica. West is a
Specialist in the Kansas Army National Guard and a veteran of Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He served in the 778
Combat HET, out of Kansas City, Kansas, as both convoy security and a
HET operator.

Bill Truxes, a WWII Veteran and founder of the Truxes Company in Oswego,
Illinois, for their generosity in agreeing to donate the bronze casting.
Truxes joined the Army Air Corp during World War II, and served as a
B-24 bomber pilot. While serving in World War II, he was shot down
during the Battle of the Bulge and became a POW in Germany in 1944. He
was liberated at the end of the war.

With Mr. West and Mr. Truxes both donating their services, and the
Kansas Braille Transcription Institute donating the transportation, this
entire project will be provided to the government free of charge.

Tiahrt is joined by Kansas Reps. Jerry Moran (R-Hays) and Nancy Boyda
(D-Topeka) along with 14 other members in co-sponsoring the bill, and an
endorsement by the Blind Veterans of America.

The bill passed by a unanimous vote.

 - 30 -




<http://tiahrt.houseenews.net/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=view&gpiv=1999913
155.108684.39&gen=1>





Best regards,


Randolph Cabral,
President
Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, Inc.
1200 East Waterman
Wichita, Kansas 67211
Voice 316-265-9692
Fax 316-265-0184
www.kbti.org



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Best regards,


Randolph Cabral,
President
Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, Inc.
1200 East Waterman
Wichita, Kansas 67211
Voice 316-265-9692
Fax 316-265-0184
www.kbti.org



__________________________________________________________________
This message (including any attachments) may contain information which is
confidential, privileged and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.
Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message by
unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful. If you are not
the intended recipient, please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail
and delete this message and any attachments from your system without
retaining a copy.