WHEREAS, Eric Shinseki was born in 1942, in the then-territory of Hawaii, at a time when many Americans of Japanese ancestry like him were forced by their own country to abandon their homes for relocation camps; and
     WHEREAS, Eric Shinseki graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1965 and joined his country's Army as a Second Lieutenant; and
     WHEREAS, Eric Shinseki served two combat tours in Vietnam, where he was seriously injured by a land mine; and
     WHEREAS, Eric Shinseki earned many military honors, including the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart; and
     WHEREAS, Eric Shinseki commanded NATO forces in Europe, including the peacekeeping force in Bosnia; and
     WHEREAS, Eric Shinseki rose to become the first Asian American four-star general in the United States, as well as the first Asian American to lead one of the four United States military services, as Chief of Staff of the Army, in 1999; and
     WHEREAS, General Shinseki won a reputation as a quiet and reserved officer and a genuinely humble and modest man; and
     WHEREAS, General Shinseki led the transformation of the Army to face the challenges of the future, not the past; and
     WHEREAS, General Shinseki faced formidable critics when he spoke truth to power and predicted a need of several hundred thousand soldiers in the current war in Iraq, but it is testimony to his experience and character that he both has been proven correct in his predictions and has refused to criticize those who wrongly criticized him; and
     WHEREAS, General Shinseki has stated, "Winning this war against the terrorists will succeed not because we hunt down every extremist warrior, but because we're able to change the global environment for the better in some measurable way"; and
     WHEREAS, Since his retirement, General Shinseki has volunteered as a spokesperson to ensure that the contributions of Americans of Japanese ancestry who fought for the United States in World War II are understood and remembered;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize and thank General Eric Shinseki for the example he sets of courage, dedication, and honor in service to our country; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to General Shinseki, the Office of United States Senator Daniel Inouye, the Seattle Nisei Veterans Committee, and the Go For Broke National Education Center.