[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2586-S2587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THURMOND (for himself, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Allen):
  S. 571. A bill to provide for the location of the National Museum of 
the United States Army; to the Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to 
create a National Museum for the United States Army. This endeavor is 
important to every American, every veteran, and all Members of 
Congress.
  I would be greatly pleased to have my colleagues join me in 
sponsoring this worthy legislation.
  Our great Capital City and its surrounding countryside host every 
kind of museum imaginable, but not one for one of this Nation's 
greatest institutions, the United States Army. Area museums serving the 
American public today are all worthy museums, but this great city and 
this great Nation are sadly without a museum for its citizen-soldiers 
who have sacrificed so much for their country.
  The purpose of the legislation which I introduce today is to 
designate a place for the Army Museum to be built to preserve, 
interpret, and display the important role the Army has played in the 
history of our Nation.
  What I propose is not new. Over the past two decades many sites have 
been suggested and most are unsatisfactory because they have 
unrealistic development requirements, because their locations are 
unsuitable for such an esteemed building, or they lacked an appropriate 
Army setting. Since 1983, the process of choosing a site for the Army 
Museum has been a long cumbersome undertaking. A site selection 
committee was organized and it developed

[[Page S2587]]

a list of 17 criteria which any candidate site is required to possess 
before it was to be selected as home to the Army Museum. Among other 
requirements, these criteria required such things as: an area 
permitting movement of large military vehicles for exhibits and tractor 
trailer trucks for shipments, commanding and aesthetically pleasing 
vistas, positive impact on environment, closeness to public 
transportation, closeness to a Washington Tourmobile route, convenience 
to Fort Myer for support by the 3rd Infantry, The Old Guard, 
accessibility by private automobile, adequate parking for 150 staff and 
official visitors, adequate parking for a portion of the 1,000,000 
visitors per year that do not use public transportation, food service 
for staff and visitors, area low in crime and safe for staff and 
visitors, suitable space, 300,000 square feet, for construction, a low 
water table, good drainage and no history of flooding and suitability 
for subterranean construction.
  Since 1984, more than 60 sites have been studied, yet only a handful 
has been worthy of any serious consideration.
  The most prominent recent site suggestions have included Carlisle, 
Pennsylvania; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; the Washington Navy Yard; and 
Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Of these sites, most clearly have 
characteristics which are directly contrary to the established criteria 
for site selection. The extraordinary distance of Carlisle from 
Washington speaks for itself. The suggestion that the Army locate its 
museum in Washington's Navy Yard is also directly contrary to 
prerequisites for site selection. The Washington Navy Yard is situated 
in a dangerous and difficult-to-get-to part of Washington, on the 
Anacostia River and on a precarious 50-year flood plain. Because this 
area floods so often, a ``Washington Navy Yard Army Museum'', let me 
pause to repeat this awkward location a ``Washington Navy Yard Army 
Museum'', might well suffer the embarrassment of being closed ``due to 
flooding.'' This would not be the way America should honor Army 
history. The Navy Yard over the years has become less military in 
character and a patchwork home to various government offices. To locate 
the Army Museum in an old Navy yard, which is sometimes under water, 
would send a clear signal to visitors that choosing a home to their 
history was nothing more than an afterthought.

  In 1991, the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed that the site 
searches include the Mount Vernon Corridor as a possible location for 
the Army Museum. Fort Belvoir quickly became a very attractive 
location. Fort Belvoir offers a 48-acre site, only 5 minutes from 
Interstate 95, which is traveled by over 300 million vehicles annually, 
it is 3 minutes from the Fairfax County parkway, and is served by Metro 
Bus, the Fort Belvoir site fronts on US Route 1, Richmond Highway and 
is next to the main gate of Fort Belvoir.
  The Fort Belvoir site is also a winner historically. It is on a 
portion of General George Washington's properties when he was Commander 
in Chief of the Continental Army. It is located on the historical 
heritage trail of the Mount Vernon Estate, The Grist Mill, Woodlawn 
Plantation, Pohick Church, and Gunston Hall. Situating the Army Museum 
at Fort Belvoir is a natural tie to a long established military and 
historic installation that has already been approved by the National 
Capitol Planning Commission to be used for community activities, which 
includes museums, as a part of the Fort Belvoir Master Plan. The Fort 
Belvoir site meets all 17 criterions originally established by the 
Army.
  The bill I am introducing today names Fort Belvoir as the site for 
the Army Museum. Fort Belvoir is the best location in the Washington 
area to host an Army museum. Army veterans want to remember and show 
their contribution to history in an Army setting and culture in which 
they themselves once served. Fort Belvoir is the perfect place to do 
this and it qualifies on every criterion established in 1983 by the 
Army's Site Selection Committee. For Belvoir is Army and should host 
Army history. Therefore, I ask that my colleagues support this bill and 
bring the 18-year search for a home for the Army Museum to a close by 
selecting a worthy home for one of this Nation's greatest institutions.
  Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Adams in 1817, ``A morsel of genuine 
history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable.'' I am pleased to 
see that the National U.S. Army Museum is a task for this Congress at 
the beginning of a new century, at a time when all Americans are proud 
of their Nation's accomplishments and those who made it all possible. I 
am absolutely concerned that all our veterans are honored, and honored 
honorably. Every year Army veterans bring their families to Washington 
and are disappointed that no museum exists as a tribute to their 
service and sacrifice. Time is running out for many Army veterans, 
especially those of World War II. I urge my colleagues to review this 
important piece of legislation and support its passage. Mr. President, 
I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill and the site 
selection criteria be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 571

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Museum of the 
     United States Army Site Act of 2001''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The Nation does not have adequate knowledge of the role 
     of the Army in the development and protection of the United 
     States.
       (2) The Army, the oldest United States military service, 
     lacks a primary museum with public exhibition space and is in 
     dire need of a permanent facility to house and display its 
     historical artifacts.
       (3) Such a museum would serve to enhance the preservation, 
     study, and interpretation of Army historical artifacts.
       (4) Many Army artifacts of historical significance and 
     national interest which are currently unavailable for public 
     display would be exhibited in such a museum.
       (5) While the Smithsonian Institution would be able to 
     assist the Army in developing programs of presentations 
     relating to the mission, values, and heritage of the Army, 
     such a museum would be a more appropriate institution for 
     such programs.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to provide for a permanent site for a museum to serve 
     as the National Museum of the United States Army;
       (2) to ensure the preservation, maintenance, and 
     interpretation of the artifacts and history collected by such 
     museum;
       (3) to enhance the knowledge of the American people of the 
     role of the Army in United States history; and
       (4) to provide a facility for the public display of the 
     artifacts and history of the Army.

     SEC. 3. LOCATION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES 
                   ARMY.

       The Secretary of the Army shall provide for the location of 
     the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort 
     Belvoir, Virginia.
                                  ____


                  Army's NMUSA Site Selection Criteria

       1. Site large enough for building of 300,000 square feet.
       2. Suitable soil and other physical properties.
       3. Low water table, good drainage, no history of flooding 
     and suitable for subterranean construction, if necessary.
       4. Topography of site permits building design to include 
     north light for labs and graphics branch.
       5. Area will permit movement of large military vehicles for 
     exhibits and tractor trailer trucks for shipments.
       6. Commanding and aesthetically pleasing vistas.
       7. Positive impact on environment.
       8. Close to public transportation.
       9. Close to Tourmobile route.
       10. Convenient to National Archives and Library of Congress 
     for staff use.
       11. Convenience to the Pentagon for staff coordination.
       12. Close enough to Fort Myer for support by the 3d 
     Infantry, The Old Guard.
       13. Accessible by private automobile.
       14. Adequate parking for 150 staff and official visitors or 
     space for same.
       15. Adequate parking for a portion of the 1,000,000 
     visitors per year that do not use public transportation or 
     space for same.
       16. Food service for staff and visitors, if not provided in 
     new building.
       17. Area low in crime and safe for staff and visitors.
                                 ______