Read first time 01/18/11.   Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.

     TO THE HONORABLE BARACK OBAMA, 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, Serving in the military is one of the greatest privileges and most honorable accomplishments one can strive for in life; and
     WHEREAS, Americans serving in the military willingly dedicate their all to defend the Constitution and protect the United States regardless of the consequences; and
     WHEREAS, Since the Revolutionary War, more than one million members of the United States military, both men and women, have made the ultimate sacrifice in wars and conflicts by giving their lives in the line of duty to preserve our lives, our liberties, and our pursuits of happiness; and
     WHEREAS, Our men and women in the military have the courage, the intelligence, the strength, and the love of country to serve and sacrifice everything, if necessary, to help make this world a better place and to make sure that the United States and its people are safe from terrorists and any other threats of aggression that rise up against our country; and
     WHEREAS, The people support our American soldiers and wish to express their love, respect, and appreciation for all our active military members and our veterans for all they do and have done on our behalf; and
     WHEREAS, In the past 200 years, there has never been an official national symbol that recognizes our gratitude and admiration for the ultimate sacrifice made by members of the United States military in service to our nation; and
     WHEREAS, There are certain things that bind us and transcend the generations, and one such thing of paramount importance is the service and sacrifice of those fallen members of our Armed Forces who are deserving of national recognition; and
     WHEREAS, We feel constrained to honor these heroes with a symbol to remind us daily that they should not be forgotten and that says, "Thank you for all you have done for us"; and
     WHEREAS, It is imperative that we create, establish, and promote a nationally recognized flag that will fly continuously as a visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms; and
     WHEREAS, In the 111th Congress, HR 1034, a Congressional proposal to amend Chapter 9 of Title 36 of the United States Code, was introduced to designate the "Honor and Remember Flag" as an official symbol to recognize members of our Armed Forces who have died in the line of duty; and
     WHEREAS, A bill that is the same as or similar to HR 1034 is to be introduced in the 112th Congress to designate the "Honor and Remember Flag" as an official symbol to recognize members of our Armed Forces who have died in the line of duty; and
     WHEREAS, The "Honor and Remember Flag" will commemorate all individuals from all wars or conflicts involving the United States who died while serving our nation, not only those killed in action, but all who have died while serving their term of duty; and
     WHEREAS, The "Honor and Remember Flag" will serve as a daily reminder for all Americans to acknowledge the ultimate price of freedom and will give comfort to the families who have lost loved ones during military service; and
     WHEREAS, The "Honor and Remember Flag" will stand as a symbol of national gratitude for the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who bravely made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the liberty, peace, security, and prosperity we now enjoy; and
     WHEREAS, The "Honor and Remember Flag" will help give closure to the thousands of families that deserve recognition for the sacrifice of a lost loved one and will be a nationally and internationally recognized reminder to all Americans and the world of the value of each individual life given for freedom;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States enact a bill that is the same as or similar to HR 1034 from the 111th Congress to create an "Honor and Remember Flag" to serve as a national symbol and that the President of the United States sign such a bill into law in order to establish a permanent national flag to fly continuously in eternal honor and remembrance of those who have given their lives in military service for our nation; and
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Barack Obama, 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.