[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 40 (Thursday, March 18, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1618-H1619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS NATIONAL MEMORIAL ACT

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2788) to designate a Distinguished Flying Cross National 
Memorial at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2788

       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 ``Distinguished Flying Cross 
     National Memorial Act''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS NATIONAL 
                   MEMORIAL IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The most reliable statistics regarding the number of 
     members of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the 
     Distinguished Flying Cross indicate that 126,318 members of 
     the Armed Forces received the medal during World War II, 
     approximately 21,000 members received the medal during the 
     Korean conflict, and 21,647 members received the medal during 
     the Vietnam War. Since the end of the Vietnam War, more than 
     203 Armed Forces members have received the medal in times of 
     conflict.
       (2) The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, 
     Missouri, burned down in 1973, and thus many more recipients 
     of the Distinguished Flying Cross may be undocumented. 
     Currently, the Department of Defense continues to locate and 
     identify members of the Armed Forces who have received the 
     medal and are undocumented.
       (3) The United States currently lacks a national memorial 
     dedicated to the bravery and sacrifice of those members of 
     the Armed Forces who have distinguished themselves by heroic 
     deeds performed in aerial flight.
       (4) An appropriate memorial to current and former members 
     of the Armed Forces is under construction at March Field Air 
     Museum in Riverside, California.
       (5) This memorial will honor all those members of the Armed 
     Forces who have distinguished themselves in aerial flight, 
     whether documentation of such members who earned the 
     Distinguished Flying Cross exists or not.
       (b) Designation.--The memorial to members of the Armed 
     Forces who have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross 
     that is under construction at March Field Air Museum in 
     Riverside, California, is hereby designated as the 
     Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial.
       (c) Effect of Designation.--The national memorial 
     designated by this section is not a unit of the National Park 
     System, and the designation of the national memorial shall 
     not be construed to require or permit Federal funds to be 
     expended for any purpose related to the national memorial.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in 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 Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2788 is sponsored by Representative 
Ken Calvert of California. This bill would establish a national 
memorial at the March Field Air Museum in California to honor the 
recipients of the Air Force's Distinguished Flying Cross. This medal is 
awarded to members of the United States Armed Services who have 
demonstrated heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating 
in an aerial flight.
  H.R. 2788 specifies that the memorial is not a unit of the National 
Park System and states that the designation as a national memorial 
shall not be construed to require or permit Federal funds to be spent 
on the memorial.
  Mr. Speaker, we support the passage of H.R. 2788, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I want to begin by thanking Congressman Calvert for introducing this

[[Page H1619]]

bill to designate a memorial in honor of the over 150,000 current and 
former members of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the 
Distinguished Flying Cross.
  When this bill is enacted, a memorial under construction at March 
Field Air Museum in Riverside, California, will be designated as the 
Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial. This designation honors 
these patriots and does not require or permit any expenditure of any 
Federal funds.
  Mr. Speaker, I would yield such time as he may consume to the bill's 
sponsor, my friend from California (Mr. Calvert).
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2788, a bill to 
designate a National Distinguished Flying Cross Memorial in Riverside, 
California. I'm honored to represent the Inland Empire chapter of the 
Distinguished Flying Cross Society, which is the primary sponsor of the 
memorial.
  Last June, I introduced H.R. 2788, which would designate a memorial 
which is currently under construction at March Field Air Museum as the 
Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial. It honors all current and 
former members of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the 
Distinguished Flying Cross.
  The bill has strong bipartisan support from both the committee and 
with 48 cosponsors. The legislation is supported by the Distinguished 
Flying Cross Society, the Military Officers Association of America, the 
Air Force Association, the Air Force Sergeants Association, the 
Association of Naval Aviation, the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots 
Association, and the China-Burma-India Veterans Association.
  I would like to point out language in the bill that specifically 
states that the designation shall not be construed to require or permit 
Federal funds to be expended for any purpose related to a national 
memorial. Funds have been and will continue to be raised through 
private means for these purposes.
  Distinguished Flying Cross recipients have received the prestigious 
medal for their heroism or extraordinary achievement while 
participating in aerial flight while serving in any capacity with the 
U.S. Armed Forces. There are many people who have played a vital role 
in the history of military aviation and have received this award. This 
renowned group includes Captain Charles L. Lindbergh, former President 
George H.W. Bush, Brigadier General Jimmy Doolittle, General Curtis 
LeMay, Senator McCain, Jimmy Stewart, and Admiral Jim Stockdale, just 
to name a few.
  The March Air Reserve Base, which hosts the C-17As of the 452nd Air 
Mobility Wing, is adjacent to the location of the memorial at the March 
Field Air Museum. When completed, visitors will be able to witness 
active operational air units providing support to our troops in Iraq 
and Afghanistan, which is an appropriate setting that honors the many 
aviators who have distinguished themselves by deeds performed in aerial 
flight.
  I would like to thank those who worked tirelessly to make sure this 
memorial is built and is properly designated in honor of the 
distinguished aviators that have served this great Nation. In 
particular, I would like to recognize Jim Chaplin, with the loving 
support of his wife, Trish, who just recently passed away, who have 
been instrumental in this effort.
  Again, I hope you will join me in supporting the designation of the 
National Flying Cross Memorial at March Field Air Museum and H.R. 2788.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say the Distinguished 
Flying Cross was also awarded to William Pittman for his service in 
flying B-29s in the Pacific during World War II. His daughter, Lisa, 
sits next to me staffing this bill today.
  I yield back the balance of our time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2788.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I am just wondering, which Members did 
you count standing on the floor a moment ago?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair's count in support of the yeas and 
nays is not subject to appeal.

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