[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 61 (Friday, April 30, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4482-S4483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 33, which the clerk will 
report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 33) designating May 1999 as 
     ``National Military Appreciation Month''.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise today in support of Senate 
Resolution 33, which designates May 1999 as ``National Military 
Appreciation Month.'' I congratulate Senator McCain for introducing 
this important legislation, and I am proud to be a cosponsor.
  In Congress, we spend many hours discussing this Nation's national 
security and how our Armed Forces will be used to secure America's 
defenses. We spend far too little time discussing what is central in 
making our national security possible--the individual service member. 
Great warplanes, warships, tanks and ground weapon systems are only as 
good as the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who man the front 
lines. American military service members are unique in their mission, 
their special culture and have a special place in our society.
  The American military lives by fundamental values: duty, honor, 
country. We are unique in the world in this respect. Our service 
personnel put their lives on the line not for danger or the thrill of 
combat, but for a higher cause. To do their job effectively, those in 
the military must have faith in the society they serve. In turn, our 
society must support and honor its Armed Forces. General Matthew 
Ridgway strongly believed that those in uniform must be forthright with 
the American citizen they serve. He said, ``The professional soldier 
should never pull his punches, should never let himself for one moment 
be dissuaded from stating honest opinions based on his own military 
experience and judgment which tells him what will be needed to do the 
job required of him.'' No factor of political motivation should excuse, 
and no reason of political expediency should interfere with the supreme 
duties our military undertake. General Ridgway went on to note that 
``Since George Washington's time, no top soldier has forgotten that he 
is a citizen first and a soldier second, and that the troops under his 
command are an instrument of the people's will.'' This is why the 
American people have always had a special relationship with its  
military.

  This is what makes the American military men and women unique. If you 
have been there, you know exactly what I mean. For those who have not 
had the opportunity to serve, you should speak with our military men 
and women. Learn more about their accomplishments, challenges, and 
sacrifices. In combat, in conflict and violence, bonds of trust and 
love are forged. This is a very powerful experience which contributes 
to how the words duty, honor, country have a sacred meaning to our 
military. As the military, we learn that every decision we make calls 
upon us to act on our own personal integrity and our own willingness to 
sacrifice. No commitment is more powerful.
  The military instills a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, a 
sense that the military matters to the citizens they serve. After all, 
this is a profession where people are called upon to make the ultimate 
and most personal sacrifice. The military is not a mere interest group. 
In the turmoil following Vietnam, General Fred Weyand wrote, ``The 
American Army is really a people's Army in the sense that it belongs to 
the American people who take a jealous proprietary interest in its 
involvement . . . The American Army is not so much an arm of the 
Federal Government as it is an arm of the American people.'' We 
Americans should keep this in mind before we make the serious decisions 
which may put our best youngsters into harm's way. The American 
military is a national treasure, for which we all are accountable.
  The military professional is set apart from those who have followed 
other walks of life. It is a family. This is true throughout the 
services and down to the level of small units, whose cohesiveness was 
clearly illustrated during the Gulf War. When a television 
correspondent interviewed a young African American soldier in a tank 
platoon on the eve of Desert Storm and repeatedly asked him to speak to 
his fear of the impending battle, the young soldier just as 
persistently repeated his answer: ``This is my family and we'll take 
care of each other.'' The values and beliefs that form the substance of 
military professionalism determine in no small measure the role of the 
military in our great Nation.
  We Americans should at the very least show appreciation to our 
military service members.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the resolution. 
The yeas and nays have been ordered, and the clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Texas (Mr. Gramm), the 
Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Bunning), 
and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain) are necessarily absent.
  I further announce that the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Stevens) is 
absent on official business.
  Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Harkin), is 
necessarily absent.
  I also announce that the Senator from New York (Mr. Moynihan) is 
absent due to surgery.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New 
York (Mr. Moynihan) would vote ``aye.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
who desire to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 93, nays 0, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 97 Leg.]

                                YEAS--93

     Abraham
     Akaka
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bryan
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     Crapo
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Gorton
     Graham
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lott

[[Page S4483]]


     Lugar
     Mack
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nickles
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Torricelli
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--7

     Bunning
     Gramm
     Harkin
     Hatch
     McCain
     Moynihan
     Stevens
  The resolution (S. Res. 33) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 33), with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 33

       Whereas the freedom and security that United States 
     citizens enjoy today are results of the vigilant commitment 
     of the United States Armed Forces in preserving the freedom 
     and security;
       Whereas it is appropriate to promote national awareness of 
     the sacrifices that members of the United States Armed Forces 
     have made in the past and continue to make every day in order 
     to support the Constitution and to preserve the freedoms and 
     liberties that enrich the Nation;
       Whereas it is important to preserve and foster the honor 
     and respect that the United States Armed Forces deserve for 
     vital service on behalf of the United States;
       Whereas it is appropriate to emphasize the importance of 
     the United States Armed Forces to all persons in the United 
     States;
       Whereas it is important to instill in the youth in the 
     United States the significance of the contributions that 
     members of the United States Armed Forces have made in 
     securing and protecting the freedoms that United States 
     citizens enjoy today;
       Whereas it is appropriate to underscore the vital support 
     and encouragement that families of members of the United 
     States Armed Forces lend to the strength and commitment of 
     those members;
       Whereas it is important to inspire greater love for the 
     United States and encourage greater support for the role of 
     the United States Armed Forces in maintaining the superiority 
     of the United States as a nation and in contributing to world 
     peace;
       Whereas it is appropriate to recognize the importance of 
     maintaining a strong, equipped, well-educated, well-trained 
     military for the United States to safeguard freedoms, 
     humanitarianism, and peacekeeping efforts around the world;
       Whereas it is important to give greater recognition for the 
     dedication and sacrifices that individuals who serve in the 
     United States Armed Forces have made and continue to make on 
     behalf of the United States;
       Whereas it is appropriate to display the proper honor and 
     pride United States citizens feel towards members of the 
     United States Armed Forces for their service;
       Whereas it is important to reflect upon the sacrifices made 
     by members of the United States Armed Forces and to show 
     appreciation for such service;
       Whereas it is appropriate to recognize, honor, and 
     encourage the dedication and commitment of members of the 
     United States Armed Forces in serving the United States; and
       Whereas it is important to acknowledge the contributions of 
     the many individuals who have served in the United States 
     Armed Forces since inception of the Armed Forces: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the Senate--
       (1) designates May 1999 as ``National Military Appreciation 
     Month''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States to recognize and 
     honor the dedication and commitment of the members of the 
     United States Armed Forces and to observe the month with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities.

  Mr. THURMOND addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Bennett). The Senator from South Carolina.

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