HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2001-4645, by Representatives Conway, Kirby, D. Schmidt, Talcott, Lantz, Fisher, Carrell, Campbell, Jackley, Darneille, Hatfield, Reardon, Doumit, Keiser, Dickerson, Simpson, Rockefeller, Murray, Schual‑Berke, Dunshee, Edwards, Berkey, McDermott, Kenney, Tokuda, Edmonds, Kagi, Hunt, Ruderman, Ogden, Fromhold, Kessler, Grant, Santos, Gombosky, Eickmeyer and O'Brien

      WHEREAS, It is the policy of the Washington state legislature to recognize and honor the contributions of individuals who have embraced and demonstrated the standards of excellence that enhance the well-being and quality of life of citizens of the state of Washington; and

      WHEREAS, Helmut "Brownie" Braunsteiner was born in Austria in 1926, forced into the Hitler Youth organization at age thirteen and fled to the United States with his family in 1939; and

      WHEREAS, He subsequently volunteered for the United States Army and served during World War II, Korea, the Berlin crisis, and Vietnam for a total of twenty-seven years in the military; and

      WHEREAS, Brownie acted as an interpreter and translator at the Nuremberg War Crime Trials in 1945 and personally tutored President John F. Kennedy in 1961 in Berlin, Germany with the famous phrase, "Ich bin ein Berliner"; and

      WHEREAS, Feeling a need to repay America for the freedom he received when he immigrated, Brownie became a tireless volunteer upon retiring from a life in the military; and

      WHEREAS, His many roles include coordinating the Veterans of Foreign Wars Volunteers at the Veterans Administration Hospital in American Lake, acting as chairman of the Pierce County Veterans Advisory Council, cofounding the Veterans Independent Enterprises of Washington (VIEW) in Fife, and volunteering for the Diabetes Association of Pierce County; and

      WHEREAS, Brownie is an appointed member of the Governor's Veterans Affairs Advisory Council, which is charged with advising the Governor on issues and events important to veterans and their families; and

      WHEREAS, Brownie was instrumental in his work on the board which established the World War II Memorial on the State Capitol Campus in Olympia; and

      WHEREAS, Brownie has personally touched the lives of thousands of veterans in the state of Washington, helping many of our country's heroes find their way to better health and a better life;

      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and honor Helmut "Brownie" Braunsteiner as a military hero and a hero to the countless veterans he assisted in his relentless efforts to improve the quality of life for veterans in the great state of Washington; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives to Brownie Braunsteiner, each member of the Governor's Veterans Affairs Advisory Council, and the director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

          I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

         Resolution 4645 adopted by the House of Representatives

                              April 9, 2001.

________________________________             _____________________________

Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerk          Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerk