[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 159 (Tuesday, December 13, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11446-H11447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING SUITABILITY AND FEASIBILITY STUDY OF DESIGNATING THE ST.
LOUIS SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL MILITARY MUSEUM AS A UNIT OF THE NATIONAL PARK
SYSTEM
Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 452) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the
Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis, Missouri, as a
unit of the National Park System.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 452
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY REGARDING THE
SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL MILITARY MUSEUM.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Soldiers' Memorial is a tribute to all veterans
located in the greater St. Louis area, including Southern
Illinois.
(2) The current annual budget for the memorial is $185,000
and is paid for exclusively by the City of St. Louis.
(3) In 1923, the City of St. Louis voted to spend
$6,000,000 to purchase a memorial plaza and building
dedicated to citizens of St. Louis who lost their lives in
World War I.
(4) The purchase of the 7 block site exhausted the funds
and no money remained to construct a monument.
(5) In 1933, Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann appealed to citizens
and the city government to raise $1,000,000 to construct a
memorial building and general improvement of the plaza area
and the construction of Soldiers' Memorial began on October
21, 1935.
(6) On October 14, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
officially dedicated the site.
(7) On Memorial Day in 1938, Mayor Dickmann opened the
building to the public.
(b) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a
study to determine the suitability and feasibility of
designating the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum, located
at 1315 Chestnut, St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the
National Park System.
(c) Study Process and Completion.--Section 8(c) of Public
Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and
completion of the study required by this section.
(d) Report.--The Secretary shall submit a report describing
the results the study required by this section to the
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Mrs. Drake) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs.
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia.
General Leave
Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 452 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to study the suitability and feasibility of designating a military
memorial in St. Louis as a unit of the National Park System.
In 1923, the City of St. Louis voted to spend $6 million to purchase
a memorial plaza and building dedicated to citizens of St. Louis who
lost their lives in World War I. The purchase of the memorial site
exhausted the funds. In 1933, the city government raised another $1
million to construct a memorial building on the site. On October 14,
1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated the site,
and the building was open to the public on Memorial Day, 1938.
Currently, the memorial is administered by the City of St. Louis with
a budget of $192,000. Local officials have expressed that the memorial
faces an uncertain future without Federal assistance and would like a
Federal agency to administer the site. Again, this bill only proposes a
study of this memorial and the possibility of its becoming a unit of
the National Park System.
I urge adoption of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, the majority has already explained the purpose of H.R.
452, which was introduced by my friend and colleague from Missouri (Mr.
Clay). The gentleman from Missouri is to be commended for his efforts
to preserve this memorial and museum, which was built to honor those
who lost their lives in service to our country.
It is our expectation that the study authorized by H.R. 452 will help
determine the most appropriate means to preserve and maintain the
Soldiers' Memorial and thus help to continue to honor the sacrifice of
those who have fought and died for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we support H.R. 452 and urge its adoption by the House
today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the sponsor of this
legislation.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this
time.
I want to take a moment to thank the Chairman Pombo and Chairman
Saxton and Ranking Members Rahall and Christensen for their willingness
to support and their generous help of their staffers who have worked
hard to bring the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum bill to
the floor today.
H.R. 452, which I sponsored along with Representatives Skelton and
Carnahan, will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
study of the feasibility of including the Soldiers' Memorial Military
Museum in St. Louis among the National Park Service's inventory of
Federal monuments.
At a time when our soldiers are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the
American people feel a very special connection to our military forces,
and the citizens of our Nation have a very real need to visit shrines
that honor our Nation's veterans.
The St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum is a treasured
monument to our Nation's veterans. I believe this landmark is truly one
of the most outstanding memorials ever built in tribute to those who
have sacrificed their lives in service to our Nation.
The St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial was initiated by residents of St.
Louis in the 1920s to honor the brave Americans who lost their lives in
World War I. After several years of fundraising for land acquisition
and construction, the monument was dedicated by President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt on October 14, 1936, and officially opened to the
public on Memorial Day, 1938.
The Soldiers' Memorial was a unique place in our Nation's history as
it is the only structure in St. Louis that is
[[Page H11447]]
known to have been dedicated by a sitting U.S. President. The Soldiers'
Monument is a national treasure and an architectural masterpiece.
Designed by one of the 20th Century's foremost art deco sculptors, Mr.
Walker Hancock, its entrance is flanked by four limestone sculptures
which symbolize the most important virtues in a soldier's life:
courage, loyalty, sacrifice and vision, while its ceiling displays a
mosaic tile in the shape of a large gold star that is dedicated to our
Nation's Gold Star Mothers.
The Soldiers' Memorial is an important cultural resource and
gathering place. It attracts nearly 48,000 visitors each year and
provides the setting for more than 20 ceremonies annually, including
changing of command and retirement ceremonies and many patriotic events
hosted by veterans groups. It is the center of an annual Veterans Day
Parade and Observance, which is the largest of its kind in the Midwest,
drawing participants from several surrounding States and presenting
more than 100 marching units.
In recent years, the memorial has received support and contributions
from active military personnel and veterans to help the city of St.
Louis maintain this cherished structure.
At this time in our history, we are engaged in a war against
terrorism. The people of our Nation are mourning more than 2,000
American service men and women who have given their lives in the Iraq
War. The American people are anxious to pay tribute to the Nation's
veterans, and they should have national shrines to commemorate their
friends and family members who have lost their lives for our Nation.
It is time for the Federal Government to consider acquiring the St.
Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum in its inventory of national
monuments. I believe that a study of this monument would show that it
is an historically important structure with a national significance.
H.R. 452 is strongly supported by veterans groups and other civic
organizations. I hope the Members of this body will endorse this
important effort to help create a Federal monument to honor our
Nation's veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, let me take this means to share my support
for H.R. 452, a bill introduced by my good friend and Missouri
colleague, Congressman Lacy Clay. I was pleased to cosponsor this
legislation, which would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
study the feasibility of including the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial
Military Museum as a part of the National Park System.
Through the years, the people of St. Louis and the surrounding area
have visited the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial to pay tribute to the
selfless sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. Originally
constructed to honor Americans who lost their lives during the first
World War, the monument was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt
in 1936 and opened to the public in 1938. Since that time, the memorial
has held a unique place in the history of our state and our country.
As such, it seems fitting that Congress authorize the Interior
Secretary to determine whether the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial should
be included in America's inventory of national monuments. I hope my
colleagues agree and will support this sensible legislation offered by
the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Clay.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 452.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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