[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17261]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            KOREAN WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION FEDERAL CHARTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 25, 2007

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, today on the 22nd anniversary of its 
founding, I rise to offer legislation that would grant the Korean War 
Veterans Association a Federal Charter, enabling the Association to 
expand its mission and further its charitable and benevolent causes. 
The Association, comprised exclusively of Korean War veterans, has over 
25,000 members and is one of the few such organizations of its size 
without a Federal Charter.
  Being awarded such a charter will afford the Korean War Veterans 
Association the same status as other major veterans' organizations and 
allow it to participate as part of select committees with other 
congressionally chartered veterans and military groups. A Federal 
Charter--at no cost to the government--will also accelerate the 
Association's accreditation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
enabling its members to assist in processing veterans' claims.
  More than 50 years have passed since the war-weary men and women who 
served in Korea returned home. Half a century later, history has 
revealed that the sacrifices made by these brave soldiers stemmed the 
expansion of communism and effectively contributed to a more peaceful 
world.
  Granting this Federal Charter is a small expression of our 
appreciation for the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of our forces 
in Korea. This bipartisan legislation is an opportunity to express our 
gratitude and respect for our military, past and present, and to give 
Korean War veterans the long-awaited recognition they deserve to ensure 
that the ``forgotten war'' is forgotten no more.

                          ____________________