COMMITTEE REPORT
February 6, 2014
H. 4592
Introduced by Reps. Clemmons, Alexander, Allison, Anderson, Anthony, Atwater, Bales, Ballentine, Bannister, Barfield, Bedingfield, Bernstein, Bingham, Bowen, Bowers, Branham, Brannon, G.A. Brown, R.L. Brown, Burns, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Cole, H.A. Crawford, K.R. Crawford, Crosby, Daning, Delleney, Dillard, Douglas, Edge, Erickson, Felder, Finlay, Forrester, Funderburk, Gagnon, Gambrell, George, Gilliard, Goldfinch, Govan, Hamilton, Hardee, Hardwick, Harrell, Hart, Hayes, Henderson, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hixon, Hodges, Horne, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Jefferson, Kennedy, King, Knight, Limehouse, Loftis, Long, Lowe, Lucas, Mack, McCoy, McEachern, M.S. McLeod, W.J. McLeod, Merrill, Mitchell, D.C. Moss, V.S. Moss, Munnerlyn, Murphy, Nanney, Neal, Newton, Norman, Norrell, R.L. Ott, Owens, Parks, Patrick, Pitts, Pope, Putnam, Quinn, Ridgeway, Riley, Rivers, Robinson-Simpson, Rutherford, Ryhal, Sabb, Sandifer, Sellers, Simrill, Skelton, G.M. Smith, G.R. Smith, J.E. Smith, J.R. Smith, Sottile, Southard, Spires, Stavrinakis, Stringer, Tallon, Taylor, Thayer, Toole, Vick, Weeks, Wells, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Williams, Willis and Wood
S. Printed 2/6/14--H.
Read the first time February 4, 2014.
To whom was referred a House Resolution (H. 4592) to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact House Bill H.R. 318, to authorize a Wall of Remembrance as part of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:
LISTON D. BARFIELD for Committee.
TO MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ENACT HOUSE BILL H.R. 318, TO AUTHORIZE A WALL OF REMEMBRANCE AS PART OF THE KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL SO AS TO PROPERLY HONOR THOSE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES MEMBERS WHO WERE KILLED IN THE KOREAN WAR AND TO PROPERLY REMEMBER THOSE THAT WERE WOUNDED, LISTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, AND WERE PRISONERS OF WAR.
Whereas, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, located near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in 1997; and
Whereas, the memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the three-year period of the Korean War, including the 54,246 Americans who died in support of their country and the 103,284 that were wounded during the conflict; and
Whereas, the most noticeable aspect of the memorial consists of nineteen stainless steel statues depicting members of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force standing in Juniper bushes that are separated by granite strips to symbolize the rice paddies of Korea, and a mural made of black granite containing thousands of photographs of the Korean War; and
Whereas, the memorial also has a Pool of Remembrance at the far end of the memorial that at its base lists the numbers of those killed, wounded, missing in action, and prisoners of war from the various countries and organizations fighting alongside the United States; and
Whereas, due to its location, and that the pool is drained in certain months, the vast majority of visitors to the memorial never visit the reflective pond and therefore miss the statistics and fail to grasp the human cost of war; and
Whereas, although the 1986 enactment authorizing the memorial specifically intended to honor, "particularly those who were killed in action, are still missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war," due to the layout of the memorial, the memorial fails to meet that aspect of the 1986 enactment; and
Whereas, erecting a double panel glass wall encircling the rear of the Pool of Remembrance containing the names of the members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in action, as well as the numbers of United States' soldiers, and its allies, that were killed, wounded, missing in action, or a prisoner of war will give a sense of closure to the memorial and cause its visitors to reflect on the time period and its effect on human lives. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives respectfully memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact House Bill H.R. 318, to authorize a Wall of Remembrance as part of the Korean War veterans memorial so as to properly honor those United States Armed Forces members who were killed in the Korean War and to properly remember those that were wounded, listed as missing in action, and were prisoners of war.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the South Carolina Congressional Delegation.