[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 191 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 191

 Recognizing and honoring Medal of Honor recipients for their selfless 
    acts for our Nation, and commending IPALCO Enterprises for its 
         contributions to honor each of these American heroes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 26, 1999

 Ms. Carson submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing and honoring Medal of Honor recipients for their selfless 
    acts for our Nation, and commending IPALCO Enterprises for its 
         contributions to honor each of these American heroes.

Whereas a new memorial in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, will honor every Medal 
        of Honor recipient individually;
Whereas the memorial dedication on Friday, May 28, 1999, will be attended by one 
        of the largest ever gatherings of Medal of Honor recipients;
Whereas the memorial will feature the names of the 3,410 people who have 
        received the Medal of Honor, the Nation's highest military award for 
        valor;
Whereas the Medal of Honor is awarded by the President in the name of Congress, 
        and for this reason is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of 
        Honor;
Whereas since it was first awarded in 1863, 3,410 individuals have been awarded 
        the Medal of Honor;
Whereas 19 individuals have received the Medal of Honor twice;
Whereas 2,363 Medals of Honor have been awarded to members of the Army, 745 to 
        members of the Navy, 295 to members of the Marines, 16 to members of the 
        Air Force, 1 to a member of the Coast Guard, and 19 to unknowns;
Whereas there are 162 living recipients;
Whereas the Medal of Honor is only bestowed on those who have performed an act 
        of ``gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of . . . life above and 
        beyond the call of duty'';
Whereas acts of bravery and courage are not unusual among those in uniform, and 
        engaging in direct battle with an enemy or carrying out one's duties 
        under enemy attack is an act of bravery and courage performed by many 
        members of our Armed Forces;
Whereas the level of heroism cited among those who receive the Medal of Honor is 
        uncommonly high and of a far greater magnitude;
Whereas there are 3 types of Medals of Honor today: the original star shape 
        established in 1861 which the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have 
        retained; a wreath version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered 
        wreath version adopted by the Air Force in 1965;
Whereas IPALCO Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based energy company, has provided 
        the memorial, including design, construction, and future maintenance, as 
        a gift to the Medal of Honor recipients and to the Nation;
Whereas the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial will be located on the north 
        bank of the Central Canal in White River State Park;
Whereas the location of the memorial is particularly significant, since it is 
        adjacent to Military Park, which served as a training facility during 
        the Civil War;
Whereas nearly half of the Medals of Honor issued, 1,520, were bestowed upon 
        soldiers who fought in the Civil War;
Whereas the memorial will be composed of curved walls of glass, each 
        representing a specific United States military engagement in which the 
        Medal of Honor was awarded;
Whereas the glass walls will bear the names of all 3,410 individuals who have 
        received the Medal of Honor, along with their branch of service and the 
        location of their heroic action;
Whereas steps, benches, and a grassy area will provide seating for visitors, and 
        each day at dusk the memorial's sound system will play the recorded 
        stories of medal recipients or of the conflicts in which they fought;
Whereas the memorial was designed by ROAMworks, an Indianapolis-based landscape 
        architecture firm, the general contractor is Hagerman Construction 
        Corporation, and the electrical contractor is Miller-Eads Company, Inc.;
Whereas IPALCO and the Central Indiana Building Trade Association have agreed 
        that all work on the memorial will be done by labor union members; and
Whereas a majority of the 162 living Medal of Honor recipients will be present 
        to participate in the May 28, 1999, event: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and honors 
all recipients of the Medal of Honor for their selfless contributions 
to our Nation, and commends IPALCO Enterprises for its contributions to 
honor each of these American heroes.
                                 <all>