[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 409 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.Con.Res.409
                                          Agreed to May 21, 2004        

                       One Hundred Eighth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
           the twentieth day of January, two thousand and four


                          Concurrent Resolution

Whereas the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in the 
  District of Columbia will be the first national memorial to both 
  recognize the courage, bravery, and unselfish dedication of the 
  members of the United States Armed Forces who served in World War II 
  and those who served on the home front and acknowledge the commitment 
  and achievement of the entire American people in that conflict;

 Whereas World War II veteran Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, first 
  proposed the construction of a National World War II memorial, and 
  Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio introduced legislation to 
  establish the memorial in the District of Columbia to honor members 
  of the Armed Forces who served in World War II and to commemorate the 
  participation of the United States in that war;

Whereas, in Public Law 103-32 (107 Stat. 90; 40 U.S.C. 8903 note), 
  approved May 25, 1993, Congress authorized the American Battle 
  Monuments Commission, an independent Federal agency, to design and 
  construct the memorial;

Whereas the location selected as the site for the memorial, the Rainbow 
  Pool site on the National Mall at the east end of the Reflecting Pool 
  between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, was 
  dedicated on November 11, 1995;

Whereas, in an open competition, the American Battle Monuments 
  Commission selected Friedrich St. Florian as the design architect for 
  the memorial, and his final architectural design was approved by the 
  Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, 
  and the Secretary of the Interior;

Whereas the late Representative Bob Stump of Arizona, who served as 
  Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
  Armed Services of the House of Representatives, sponsored several 
  measures to expedite the funding and construction of the memorial, 
  which were enacted as sections 601, 602, and 603 of Public Law 106-
  117 and Public Law 107-11;

Whereas after 8 years of planning, 6 years of public deliberation, and 
  4 years of fund raising, construction began on the memorial in 
  September 2001;

Whereas the memorial would not have been possible without the efforts 
  and dedication of National Chairman Senator Robert J. Dole and 
  National Co-Chairman Frederick W. Smith, who were instrumental in 
  raising over $194,000,000 for the construction of the memorial;

Whereas these generous contributions came from hundreds of thousands of 
  individual Americans, as well as corporations, foundations, veterans 
  groups, fraternal and professional organizations, States, 
  communities, and schools;

Whereas actor Tom Hanks, the Advertising Council, and the History 
  Channel played a key role in increasing public awareness of the 
  heroic achievements of American World War II veterans and the war 
  effort and in raising support for the memorial;

Whereas President George W. Bush will formally dedicate the memorial on 
  May 29, 2004;

Whereas the memorial will be a monument to the selfless sacrifice and 
  undaunted courage of the members of the United States Armed Forces 
  who served in World War II and a place of remembrance to honor the 
  more than 400,000 American servicemen and servicewomen who died in 
  that conflict defending the United States; and

Whereas the memorial will be a source of inspiration for current and 
  future generations of Americans, giving visitors to the memorial a 
  new appreciation for the accomplishments of America's World War II 
  generation, which united in the quest to free the world from tyranny: 
  Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress recognizes with humble gratitude the more than 16,000,000 
veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces during World War 
II and the Americans who supported the war effort on the home front and 
celebrates the completion of the National World War II Memorial on the 
National Mall in the District of Columbia.
  Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.

  Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.