S.Amdt. 468

SA 468. Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle C of title X, add the following:

SEC. 1025. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE NAMING OF THE NEXT
AVAILABLE NAVAL VESSEL AFTER MAJOR JAMES
``JIM'' CAPERS, JR.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) James ``Jim'' Capers, Jr. served with great heroism and
devotion as a member of the United States Marine Corps.
(2) James Capers, Jr. was the first African American to
receive a battlefield commission and to command a Marine
Corps Force Reconnaissance company.
(3) During his service to the United States in Vietnam,
James Capers, Jr. was awarded the United States' third-
highest military combat decoration for his actions in the
vicinity of Phu Loc, Republic of Vietnam, from March 31 to
April 3, 1967.
(4) In addition to being awarded the Silver Star, James
Capers, Jr. is the recipient of two Bronze Stars with ``V''
for valor, three Purple Hearts, and numerous other
decorations, making him one of the most decorated Marines in
Force Reconnaissance history.
(5) During the 1970s, James Capers, Jr. became a national
figure as the face of the Marine Corps in a national
recruitment campaign.
(6) James Capers, Jr. retired in 1978, with the rank of
major, having participated in more than 50 classified
missions during his time in service.
(7) Retired Major James Capers, Jr. personifies the core
values of honor, courage, and commitment and should be
honored in a manner fitting to his service and devotion to
the United States.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
that the Secretary of the Navy should name the next available
naval vessel after retired United States Marine Corps Major
James ``Jim'' Capers, Jr. for his service and devotion to the
United States.
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