BILL REQ. #:  H-2197.1 

Read first time 03/01/2005.   Referred to Committee on State Government Operations & Accountability.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, Over the course of our nation's military history, tens of thousands of war dogs served during World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo peacekeeping operations, and coalition operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; and
     WHEREAS, These war dogs were specifically trained for jobs like scout, sentry, tracker, mine and booby trap detection, tunnel, water patrol, coast guard, messenger, and search and rescue; and
     WHEREAS, American's war dog teams have a long and legendary history of courage, heroism, and sacrifice on thousands of foreign fields of battle and are credited with saving countless numbers of lives of Americans, allies, and noncombantants; and
     WHEREAS, War dogs have significantly reduced the enemy's capacity to sabotage or destroy war equipment worth billions of dollars; and
     WHEREAS, War dogs work for food, water, and the love, loyalty, and bond of their handlers; and
     WHEREAS, At the end of World War II the thousands of military working dogs were hailed as heroes and discharged from the military service and returned to the United States where many were repatriated with the families that donated them, while others were released to the custody of their handlers to live the rest of their lives in peace; and
     WHEREAS, During the Vietnam War, however, all dogs were classified as equipment and deemed expendable and most of the surviving dogs were either transferred to the South Vietnam Army for duty or euthanized; and
     WHEREAS, The loving bond and extreme loyalty between dog and handler is unconditional and immeasurable and it was extremely difficult for the handlers in Vietnam to leave their dogs behind; and
     WHEREAS, A National War Dog Team Memorial will give those handlers and other soldiers who relied on war dogs for their safety and survival the opportunity to have an enduring tribute to their loyal and loving companions and protectors; and
     WHEREAS, War dog handlers have joined together to create and fund a fitting memorial to war dogs to be placed in Washington, D.C.;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and Congress of the United States will take the action necessary to authorize the placement of the National War Dog Memorial in a location of honor in Washington, D.C.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.