THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY BARRAR, SAINATO, AUMENT, BOBACK, BRENNAN, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CLYMER, DAVIS, DeWEESE, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FLECK, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRELL, HEFFLEY, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, M. K. KELLER, KILLION, KNOWLES, KOTIK, KULA, MAJOR, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MICCARELLI, MILLARD, MILNE, MURT, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PASHINSKI, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, SANTONI, SAYLOR, STEVENSON, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TAYLOR, THOMAS, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, HESS, BEAR AND DENLINGER, JUNE 14, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, JUNE 14, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Establishing a select committee to conduct a study for the

future of Soldiers' Grove and the continued use of the Medal

of Honor Memorial Garden, known as the "Tides of War,"

located within Soldiers' Grove, and to provide for the

necessary enhancements to this hallowed ground.

WHEREAS, The area lying between the Forum Building and the

Finance Building on the grounds of the State Capitol in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was designated as "Soldiers' Grove"

through act 75 of 1987; and

WHEREAS, Soldiers' Grove is a hallowed location where armed

forces personnel from the Commonwealth who are awarded the

Congressional Medal of Honor are recognized by placing a

memorial stone in their honor within Soldiers' Grove and it also

is a location where past wars and conflicts in which the United

States has engaged are recognized; and

WHEREAS, Two large plaques mounted on waist-high posts along

the western edge of Soldiers' Grove read: "This Grove is

dedicated by a grateful Commonwealth in recognition of the

Soldiers and Sailors who served in any of this country's wars

and in memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice"; and

WHEREAS, Act 75 of 1987 requires the Department of General

Services to provide ten memorial bronze plaques on granite

plinths commemorating: Pennsylvania's Unknown Veterans, the

Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War,

the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I,

World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, the Medal of Honor Memorial Garden, known

as the "Tides of War," was installed in Soldiers' Grove and was

designed by artists Winifred Lutz and Stacy Levi. There are 13

arcs within the Tides of War representing conflicts from the

Civil War through the Somalia Conflict, and within each arc are

contained memorial stones honoring each of Pennsylvania's 378

Medal of Honor recipients. Following these arcs is an area

identified as the "Shores of Peace"; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, six flagpoles were installed in a

semicircle pattern at the entrance of Soldiers' Grove nearest

the Capitol to honor each of the United States' military

branches and also to honor our Prisoners of War and our Missing

in Action soldiers; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, a Historical Highway Marker was placed in

the southeast corner of Soldiers' Grove to commemorate the

"United States Colored Troops Grand Review" that took place on

the site in November of 1865; and

WHEREAS, Commencing on the western end of Soldiers' Grove and

moving east, every two feet within the Tides of War represents

one year in history, ending at the beginning of the Shores of

Peace; and

WHEREAS, The last memorial stone placed within the Tides of

War, in terms of chronological order, recognizes Army Private

First Class Ross A. McGinnis for his heroic actions on December

4, 2006, in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq; and

WHEREAS, There is limited space for the Tides of War to

continue within Soldiers' Grove as there are currently fewer

than 20 feet of open grass now available between the memorial

stone honoring Private First Class McGinnis and the Shores of

Peace; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth, due to this limited space, will

not be able to memorialize and honor Pennsylvania's Medal of

Honor recipients with the placement of a memorial stone beyond a

projected date of 2016; and

WHEREAS, It will be difficult to maintain symmetry and

chronological order if plaques are placed within Soldiers' Grove

to recognize other conflicts beyond those currently recognized

through the ten existing bronze plaques on granite plinths; and

WHEREAS, Soldiers' Grove is a landmark on the grounds of the

State Capitol and, as such, deserves to be preserved and

continued for our posterity; and

WHEREAS, It is fitting to assemble a select committee to

investigate the current issues facing Soldiers' Grove and to

devise a plan for its future use as a place to honor our Medal

of Honor recipients; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives form a select

committee to conduct a study for the future of Soldiers' Grove

and the continued use of the Medal of Honor Memorial Garden,

known as the "Tides of War," located within Soldiers' Grove, and

to provide for the necessary enhancements to allow for the

continued use of this hallowed ground; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the select committee be composed of 11 members

which shall include the chairman and minority chairman of the

Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the

House of Representatives, three members designated by the

Speaker of the House of Representatives, two members designated

by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, two

members designated by the chairman of the Veterans Affairs and

Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of

Representatives, two members designated by the minority chairman

of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of

the House of Representatives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That each select committee member may appoint a

designee to represent the member if the member is unable to

participate in or attend a committee function; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the chairman of the Veterans Affairs and

Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives

serve as chairman of the select committee and the minority

Chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness

Committee of the House of Representatives serve as the vice

chairman of the select committee; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the chairman of the select committee use

staff of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness

Committee of the House of Representatives for administration

purposes for the select committee; be it further

RESOLVED, That the select committee meet on the grounds of

the State Capitol Complex, at times that best fit the needs and

conveniences of the committee members; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the select committee hold hearings, take

testimony and seek out additional resources to complete the work

of the committee; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the select committee make a report of its

findings and any recommendations for remedial legislation or

other appropriate action to the House of Representatives on or

before November 30, 2012.