[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 96 (Thursday, June 19, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3864-S3866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 479--RECOGNIZING VETERANS DAY 2014 AS A SPECIAL 
``WELCOME HOME COMMEMORATION'' FOR ALL WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY 
                        SINCE SEPTEMBER 14, 2001

  Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Burr, and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs:

                              S. Res. 479

       Whereas the United States, pursuant to the Authorization 
     for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40), commenced a 
     war against individuals responsible for the 9/11 attacks;
       Whereas in the intervening 13 years, members of the United 
     States Armed Forces have engaged in warfare around the globe, 
     especially in Iraq and Afghanistan;

[[Page S3866]]

       Whereas there have been 2,600,000 deployments to Iraq and 
     Afghanistan and more than 500,000 soldiers have completed 
     multiple tours;
       Whereas over 110,000 sailors have deployed as individual 
     augmentees in support of the war ashore and additional 
     sailors have deployed on navy vessels serving over 180,000 
     days at sea, providing power projection, regional stability, 
     and global presence;
       Whereas over 238,000 airmen have deployed to Iraq and 
     Afghanistan and more than 201,000 airmen have deployed to the 
     Area of Responsibility, delivering flights in support of the 
     war effort;
       Whereas over 330,000 marines have deployed afloat and 
     ashore, ensuring peace in some of the most dangerous 
     provinces in Iraq and Afghanistan;
       Whereas, between January 1, 2000 and January 10, 2014, 
     287,911 cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI), often referred 
     to as a signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 
     were diagnosed among members of the Armed Forces, and 
     approximately 7,100 cases were classified as severe or 
     penetrating;
       Whereas of the members of the Armed Forces who have been 
     deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001, more 
     than 6,800 have been killed in action and more than 52,000 
     have been wounded in action;
       Whereas United States Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 
     New Dawn combat military operations in Iraq are complete and 
     United States direct military operations in Afghanistan will 
     end in 2014 as the United States transitions to a training 
     and assistance role;
       Whereas the sacrifices of United States servicemembers and 
     their families during the last 13 years should be recognized 
     by all citizens of the United States;
       Whereas November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end 
     of hostilities in World War I, and Veterans Day has been a 
     legal holiday since May 13, 1938, when it was originally 
     dedicated as ``Armistice Day'' to honor veterans of World War 
     I and was subsequently amended to honor United States 
     veterans of all wars in 1954; and
       Whereas November 11th is the day for the nation to reflect 
     on the service and sacrifice of every generation of veterans: 
     Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes Veterans Day 2014 as a special ``Welcome 
     Home Commemoration'' for all who have served in the United 
     States Armed Forces since September 14, 2001;
       (2) promotes awareness of the services and contributions of 
     all post-9/11 veterans; and
       (3) encourages communities in the United States to plan 
     activities for Veterans Day 2014 to honor and support all who 
     have served during this time and to provide citizens of the 
     United States an opportunity to present unified recognition 
     of the service and sacrifices of post-9/11 veterans.

  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I rise to talk about an American memory and 
the absence of a memory, and the lesson I draw both from the memory and 
the absence compels me to submit a resolution.
  First, the memory. I would submit that the most known photograph in 
the history of the United States is the Alfred Eisenstadt photo of an 
American sailor kissing a woman in Times Square on V-J Day, August 14, 
1945, at the end of World War II. If one Googles ``V-J Day photo,'' you 
will find more than 31 million links. Joy, celebration, gratitude--the 
photo says it all.
  It was important to celebrate the end of that war and to thank those 
from that ``greatest generation'' who had made it possible by serving, 
and we have continued to celebrate them, most recently in the recent 
commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-day.
  Now the absence of a memory.
  Where was that photo, where was that iconic moment of joy and 
celebration at the end of the Vietnam war? There was none. No iconic 
photo, no ritual moment of celebration and thanks--and that was a 
mistake.
  This generation of Americans has lived through a war that began in 
the days after 9/11. I recently heard a student about the same age as 
our pages say, ``While I don't know war, all I've known is war.''
  The combination of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and 
New Dawn has lasted 13 years. It is the longest period of war in the 
history of the United States.
  During these 13 years of war, over 2.5 million Americans have been 
deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands completing 
multiple tours. This is from an all-volunteer force that comprises less 
than 1 percent of the American population.
  More than 6,800 of our armed services have been killed in action, and 
more than 52,000 have been wounded in action.
  Now this long period of war and sacrifice is coming to an end. U.S. 
combat operations in Iraq ceased in 2011, and all U.S. combat 
operations in Afghanistan will end this year, by the end of 2014.
  Of course, while the combat mission may end, the sense of duty of our 
servicemembers continues and global challenges continue and U.S. troops 
will remain in Afghanistan in noncombat positions, just as U.S. troops 
remained in Germany and Japan and Korea in noncombat posts.
  But in a deep and fundamental way, 2014 represents the end of a 
momentous and generation-defining war. The question for this generation 
of Americans is: How will we commemorate the end of this war?
  When the war started, it started with a catastrophic attack on the 
World Trade Center and on the Pentagon in Virginia, with solemn 
speeches by the President to Congress and to the American public--
whether delivered in the Capitol or standing on piles of rubble at 
Ground Zero--with Congress debating and voting to do the most serious 
thing the Nation does, which is go to war.
  It began as serious undertakings should--with a sense of seriousness 
and purpose and even ritual. That is how this war began in America.
  How will we choose to end it? Will we take steps to publicly 
commemorate the end of the war or will we just allow the important 
moment to pass, unacknowledged and unrecognized, with no iconic moment 
or memory? Will we celebrate with and thank those who have served or 
will we just turn our attention to the next headline or the next issue 
or the next scandal or the next crisis?
  I believe that as a generation we do not want to repeat the mistake 
of the Vietnam era and allow the sacrifice of so many to just pass 
unnoticed. So, together with my cosponsors Senators Burr and 
Blumenthal, I submit today a resolution calling on the Nation to hold 
the special ``welcome home'' commemoration on Veterans Day 2014.
  November 11 is the day we honor the sacrifice and service of every 
generation of American veterans. November 11, 1918, was generally 
regarded as the end of hostilities in World War I, and since 1938 
America has paused on November 11 to recognize veterans of all wars. 
This year, after 13 years of war, we wanted to designate November 11, 
2014, as a special ``welcome home'' commemoration for all who have 
served in the military since September 11.
  We submit this resolution with the strong support of veterans 
organizations--the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and 
the Vietnam Veterans of America. The resolution promotes special 
awareness of our post-9/11 veterans. It encourages communities in the 
United States to plan activities for Veterans Day 2014 with a special 
focus on honoring and supporting those who served during this time.
  I imagine, as mayor, that the Presiding Officer had Veterans Day 
commemorations in Newark. As Governor, we have them in Virginia, and 
communities all over the country are right now planning what they will 
do on November 11, 2014. This provides our citizens with a formal 
opportunity to present a unified recognition all across this country, 
at a designated moment, of the sacrifices made by our ``greatest 
generation.''
  This resolution is not all we must do for our post-9/11 veterans. We 
owe them a better VA system. We owe them a job market that understands 
and values their skills. And with so many of our colleagues, we will 
keep working on those issues.
  This resolution doesn't stand for the end of wars or conflicts. The 
daily papers will always be filled with wars and rumors of wars around 
the globe, and we know American troops will continue to stand ready to 
serve in harm's way for our best values. But for everything there is a 
season, and this year where we finish the war started earlier in this 
millennium, it is time to welcome home our post-9/11 veterans, to shine 
a light on their honor and sacrifice, to celebrate with those who have 
borne the battle, and to remember with affection those who will never 
return.

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