BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

S-4203.1 _______________________________________________

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8026

_______________________________________________

State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 Regular Session

By Senators Shin, Bauer, Heavey, Benton, Franklin, Eide, Patterson, Kline, Johnson, Gardner, Thibaudeau, Rossi, Goings, Hargrove, B. Sheldon, Horn, Haugen, Hochstatter, T. Sheldon, Swecker, Jacobsen, Fairley, Rasmussen, Prentice, Snyder, Stevens, Loveland, Roach, Hale, Honeyford, Brown, Spanel, Fraser, Costa, McAuliffe, Kohl‑Welles and Oke

Read first time 01/27/2000. Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, 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, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE:

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, On Sunday, June 25, 1950, seven North Korean Army Divisions supported by tanks and aircraft, conducted an attack and invaded the Southern Republic of Korea; and

WHEREAS, Three years and over five million casualties later, a cease fire was secured ending the fighting only miles from where it began; and

WHEREAS, The Korean War has only become a footnote in history to most Americans, but was no less of a war to the one and one-half million fighting men and women from this nation who served in that short "Police Action" and struggled to contain Communist aggression; and

WHEREAS, The memories of endless hostile hills, gritty pudding-like mud, snow, choking dust, frozen reservoirs, long periods of boredom, and the violent death of friends will forever linger in the minds of those who fought under these inhospitable conditions; and

WHEREAS, Twenty-two nations joined forces with the courageous people of South Korea, cherishing freedom and democracy under the United Nations Command, and eventually secured a cease fire for the preservation of peace and a democratic way of life for the citizens of South Korea; and

WHEREAS, More than five hundred sons and daughters of Washington state stood in the unbroken line of patriots who dared to die in order that freedom might live and grow. Freedom lives and through it, these courageous men and women live in a way that would humble the undertakings of most people; and

WHEREAS, The families and loved ones of these men and women sacrificed just as much, by enduring the pain of their absence, the uncertainty of their whereabouts, and the agony of their deaths; and

WHEREAS, This millennium commemorates the 50th anniversary of that holocaust, known as "the Forgotten War" and veterans' service organizations are involved in honoring those gallant veterans who fought the battles for the preservation of freedom, and the members of the armed forces who even to this day guard the gates of freedom in Korea; and

WHEREAS, As a nation, we should educate every generation of Americans on the history of the Korean War in preserving our nation's liberty, freedom, and prosperity, and commemorating this event will provide Americans with a clear understanding of, and appreciation for, the sacrifices of these veterans and their families;

NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the years 2000 and 2003 be designated as the 50th anniversaries of the beginning and end of the Korean War to honor all veterans of this nation and our allies during the Korean War as well as those serving there today, and encourage all citizens of the Evergreen State to combine their efforts with veterans' service organizations and educational institutions to remember, and perpetuate the meaning of sacrifice for peace and freedom, by honoring those veterans who secured that legacy for future generations throughout the world;

BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Defense, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.