[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 168 (Tuesday, November 10, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S11354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           NATIONAL VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT WEEK DESIGNATION

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
340 and the Senate now proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 340) expressing support for 
     designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to 
     encourage public participation in a nationwide project that 
     collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who 
     served our Nation in times of war and conflict.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 340) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 340

       Whereas the Veterans History Project was established by a 
     unanimous vote of the United States Congress to collect and 
     preserve the wartime stories of American veterans;
       Whereas Congress charged the American Folklife Center at 
     the Library of Congress to undertake the Veterans History 
     Project and to engage the public in the creation of a 
     collection of oral histories that would be a lasting tribute 
     to individual veterans and an abundant resource for scholars;
       Whereas there are 17,000,000 wartime veterans in America 
     whose stories can educate people of all ages about important 
     moments and events in the history of the United States and 
     the world and provide instructive narratives that illuminate 
     the meanings of ``service'', ``sacrifice'', ``citizenship'', 
     and ``democracy'';
       Whereas the Veterans History Project relies on a corps of 
     volunteer interviewers, partner organizations, and an array 
     of civic minded institutions nationwide who interview 
     veterans according to the guidelines it provides;
       Whereas increasing public participation in the Veterans 
     History Project will increase the number of oral histories 
     that can be collected and preserved and increase the number 
     of veterans it so honors; and
       Whereas ``National Veterans Awareness Week'' commendably 
     preceded this resolution in the years 2005 and 2006: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes ``National Veterans Awareness Week'';
       (2) supports the designation of a ``National Veterans 
     History Project Week'';
       (3) calls on the people of the United States to interview 
     at least one veteran in their families or communities 
     according to guidelines provided by the Veterans History 
     Project; and
       (4) encourages local, State, and national organizations, 
     along with Federal, State, city, and county governmental 
     institutions, to participate in support of the effort to 
     document, preserve, and honor the service of American wartime 
     veterans.

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