[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 9, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3737-S3738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 304--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON VETERANS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
COUNTRY AND THE DESIGNATION OF THE WEEK THAT INCLUDES VETERANS DAY, AS
``NATIONAL VETERANS WEEK'' FOR THE PRESENTATION OF SUCH EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS
Mr. BIDEN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 304
Whereas tens of millions of Americans have served in the
Armed Forces of the United States during the past century;
Whereas hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their
lives while serving in the Armed Forces during the past
century;
Whereas the contributions and sacrifices of the men and
women who served in the Armed Forces have been vital in
maintaining our freedoms and way of life;
Whereas the advent of the all-volunteer Armed Forces has
resulted in a sharp decline in the number of individuals and
families who have had any personal connection with the Armed
Forces;
Whereas this reduction in familiarity with the Armed Forces
has resulted in a marked decrease in the awareness by young
people of the nature and importance of the accomplishments of
those who have served in our Armed Forces, despite the
current educational efforts of the Department of Veterans
Affairs and the veterans service organizations; and
Whereas our system of civilian control of the Armed Forces
makes it essential that the country's future leaders
understand the history of military action and the
contributions and sacrifices of those who conduct such
actions: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the Secretary of Education should work with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Day National
Committee, and the veterans service organizations to
encourage, prepare, and disseminate educational materials and
activities for elementary and secondary school students aimed
at increasing awareness of the contributions of veterans to
the prosperity and freedoms enjoyed by United States
citizens;
(2) the week that includes Veterans Day be designated as
``National Veterans Awareness Week'' for the purpose of
presenting such materials and activities; and
(3) the President should issue a proclamation calling on
the people of the United States to observe such week with
appropriate educational activities.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today I have the honor of submitting a
resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the Department of
Education develop and disseminate educational materials and programs
designed to make students in elementary and secondary schools aware of
the contributions of veterans and their importance in preserving
American peace and prosperity. The resolution also designates the week
that includes Veterans Day as ``National Veterans Awareness Week'' to
serve as a focus for these educational activities.
Why do we need such an educational effort? In a sense, this action
has become necessary because we are victims
[[Page S3738]]
of our own success with regard to the superior performance of our Armed
Forces. The plain fact is that there are just fewer people around now
who have had any connection with military service. For example, as a
result of tremendous advances in military technology and the resultant
productivity increases, our current Armed Forces now operate
effectively with a personnel roster that is one-third less in size than
just 10 years ago. In addition, the success of the all-volunteer
career-oriented force has led to much lower turnover of personnel in
today's military than in previous eras when conscription was a place.
Finally, the number of veterans who served during previous conflicts,
such as World War II, when our military was many times larger than
today, is inevitably declining.
The net result of these changes is that the percentage of the entire
population that has served in the Armed Forces is dropping rapidly, a
change that can be seen in all segments of society. Whereas during
World War II it was extremely uncommon to find a family in America that
did not have one of its members on active duty, now there are numerous
families that include no military veterans at all. As a consequence of
this lack of opportunity for contacts with veterans, many of our young
people have little or no connection with or knowledge about the
important historical and ongoing role of men and women who have served
in the military. This omission seems to have persisted despite ongoing
educational efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
veterans service organizations.
This lack of understanding about military veterans' important role in
our society can have potentially serious repercussions. In our country,
civilian control of the Armed Forces is the key tenet of military
governance. A citizenry that is oblivious to the capabilities and
limitations of the Armed Forces, and to its critical role throughout
our history, can make decisions that have unexpected and unwanted
consequences. Even more important, general recognition of the
importance of those individual character traits that are essential for
military success, such as patriotism, selflessness, sacrifice, and
heroism, is vital to maintaining these key aspects of citizenship in
the Armed Forces and even throughout the population at large.
Among today's young people, a generation that has grown up largely
during times of peace and extraordinary prosperity and has embraced a
``me first'' attitude, it is perhaps even more important to make sure
that there is solid understanding of what it has taken to attain this
level of comfort and freedom. The failure of our children to understand
why a military is important, why our society continues to depend on it
for ultimate survival, and why a successful military requires integrity
and sacrifice, will have predictable consequences as these youngsters
become of voting age. Even though military service is a responsibility
that is no longer shared by a large segment of the population, as it
has been in the past, knowledge of the contribution of those who have
served in the Armed Forces is as important as it has ever been. To the
extent that many of us will not have the opportunity to serve our
country in uniform, we must still remain cognizant of our
responsibility as citizens to fulfill the obligations we owe, both
tangible and intangible, to those who do serve and who do sacrifice on
our behalf.
The importance of this issue was recently brought home to me by
Samuel I. Cashdollar, a 13-year-old seventh grader at Lewes Middle
School in Lewes, Delaware, who recently won the Delaware VFW's Youth
Essay Contest with a powerful presentation titled ``How Should We Honor
America's Veterans?'' Samuel's essay points out that we have Nurses'
Week, Secretaries' Week, and Teachers' Week, to rightly emphasize the
importance of these occupations, but the contributions of those in
uniform tend to be overlooked and many businesses remain open on
Veterans Day. In a time when, for some, Veterans Day has simply become
an excuse for another department store sale, we need to make sure that
we don't become a nation where more high school seniors recognize the
name Britney Spears than the name Dwight Eisenhower.
Now, it is appropriate to ask, ``We already have Veterans Day, why do
we need National Veterans Awareness Week?'' Historically Veterans Day
was established to honor those who served in uniform during wartime.
Although we now customarily honor all veterans on Veterans Day, I see
it as a holiday that is focused on honoring individuals, the courageous
and selfless men and women without whose actions our country would not
exist as it does. National Veterans Awareness Week would complement
Veterans Day by focusing on education as well as commemoration, on the
contributions of the many in addition to the heroism and service of the
individual. National Veterans Awareness Week would also present an
opportunity to remind ourselves of the contributions and sacrifices of
those who have served in peacetime as well as in conflict; both groups
work unending hours and spend long periods away from their families
under conditions of great discomfort so that we all can live in a land
of freedom and plenty.
Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution; our
children and our childrens' children will need to be well informed
about what veterans have accomplished in order to make appropriate
decisions as they confront the numerous worldwide challenges that they
are sure to face in the future. I ask unanimous consent that the text
of Samuel Cashdollar's essay be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the essay was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
How Should We Honor America's Veterans?
(By Samuel I. Cashdollar)
The 11th of November each year is designated as Veterans
Day and is a Federal holiday. Employees of the U.S.
Government get the day off and post offices and most banks
are closed. The President visits Arlington National Cemetery
and lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Parades
are held in some places. This isn't adequate recognition of
the contribution veterans have made to America.
Each State is free to decide which Federal Holidays it
wants to recognize. In many States, government offices,
schools, and businesses remain open on Veterans Day. Even
where it's officially observed, Veterans Day comes and goes
with most people not even thinking about the tremendous
sacrifices made by the men and women who served in Armed
Forces and fought for America's freedom.
Today, people celebrate numerous weeks, such as Nurses
Week, Secretaries Week, Teachers Week, etc. These are
important events, but are they any more important than
honoring brave men and women who gave so much for their
country? America is free because of these courageous
individuals who should be honored with their own week.
The U.S. Congress should pass a law establishing a
``Veterans Week''. All schools should be required to spend a
portion of each day reminding students that it was ordinary
people who fought, were wounded, and even killed in defense
of America. This could be done in each grade level so that
every student would learn something about the wars that our
nation has fought. It could be part of a history class as
well as a lesson about the responsibility of each person to
protect our country. Teachers could easily find stories to
share with students who have no idea what war is like. If
teachers needed help, I'm sure organizations like the VFW
would be glad to participate and even speak to the students.
Veterans Week should be given special attention on
television, too, just like Black History Month. I've learned
a lot about the history of Black Americans from the stories
they feature on television. Movies about heroic battles
should be broadcast all week long. Veterans could talk about
their experiences in those wars.
In conclusion, it's very sad that many Americans know
little or nothing about the great wars our country has fought
in. I believe Veterans Week would do a lot to change that.
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