[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 434 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 434

 Recognizing the importance of establishing a national memorial at the 
  Pentagon Reservation to commemorate and mourn the terrorist attack 
              against the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 8, 2005

  Mr. Moran of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Tom Davis of Virginia, Mr. 
 Nadler, Mr. Van Hollen, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Boucher, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
 Wolf, Mr. Murtha, and Ms. Norton) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition 
    to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the importance of establishing a national memorial at the 
  Pentagon Reservation to commemorate and mourn the terrorist attack 
              against the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

Whereas, in the United States, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have 
        joined the pantheon of national tragedies and is a defining moment in 
        United States history;
Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States when they 
        hijacked four civilian aircraft and caused one of the aircraft to crash 
        into the Pentagon, which is one of the most recognized symbols of the 
        strength and power of the United States, two of the aircraft to crash 
        into the World Trade Center in New York City, and the fourth aircraft to 
        crash in rural southwest Pennsylvania;
Whereas American Airlines Flight 77, which was crashed into the Pentagon, caused 
        the death of 184 people, including 59 victims in the airplane;
Whereas, in all, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, killed more than 
        3,000 people and injured another 6,000 people;
Whereas the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, affected Americans, not 
        only for the loss of life, but also for its emotional toll, and two-
        thirds of Americans report that the attacks had a great emotional impact 
        on them and virtually all Americans can recall precisely where they were 
        and what they were doing when they learned of the attacks;
Whereas the American people found the actions of firefighters, police officers, 
        rescue workers, military personnel, and Department of Defense employees 
        at the Pentagon in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks to be 
        personally inspiring;
Whereas the attacks united Americans and people throughout the world regardless 
        of their political, ethnic, or religious persuasion or affiliation;
Whereas since the historic events of September 11, 2001, many people have 
        visited the site of the Pentagon attack to mourn the dead, to pay 
        tribute to the heroic action of the firefighters, police officers, 
        rescue workers, military personnel, and Department of Defense employees 
        at the Pentagon, and to attempt to understand the nature of this attack 
        on the United States;
Whereas section 2864 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
        2002 (Public Law 107-107; 10 U.S.C. 2674 note) authorized the Secretary 
        of Defense to establish a memorial at the Pentagon Reservation dedicated 
        to the victims of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon and to accept 
        monetary contributions made for the purpose of assisting in the 
        establishment of the memorial;
Whereas the competition for the design of the Pentagon memorial generated 1,126 
        entries;
Whereas the winners, Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman, had never entered a 
        competition before creating their design to honor the victims who died 
        at the Pentagon;
Whereas the proposed memorial is moving, thoughtful, and respectful of the 
        victims and will encourage collective contemplation through silence;
Whereas the memorial will pay tribute to each of the 184 victims of the 
        terrorist attack who were tied together by the horrific event of 
        September 11 using a time line spanning the victims' ages from the 
        youngest (age 3) to the oldest (age 71); and
Whereas family members of the victims, local residents and businesses, 
        professional organizations, State and local officials, and persons 
        around the United States and the world support the establishment of the 
        memorial at the Pentagon to recognize the people who died in the 
        terrorist attack, to pay tribute to the people who were injured in the 
        attack and the firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, military 
        personnel, and Department of Defense employees who heroically responded 
        to the attack, and to acknowledge the impact that the tragedy has had on 
        those people who witnessed it: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of establishing a national 
        memorial at the Pentagon Reservation as the highest honor the 
        United States can confer to commemorate and mourn the terrorist 
        attack at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001; and
            (2) supports the efforts of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, 
        Inc., a nonprofit organization established by the families of 
        the victims of the terrorist attack, to construct the memorial.
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