Recognizing with humble gratitude the more than 16,000,000 veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces during World War II and the Americans who supported the war effort on the home front and celebrating the completion of the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in the District of Columbia.

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 409 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

H.Con.Res.409
Agreed to May 21, 2004

One Hundred Eighth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twentieth day of January, two thousand and four

Concurrent Resolution

Whereas the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in the
District of Columbia will be the first national memorial to both
recognize the courage, bravery, and unselfish dedication of the
members of the United States Armed Forces who served in World War II
and those who served on the home front and acknowledge the commitment
and achievement of the entire American people in that conflict;

Whereas World War II veteran Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, first
proposed the construction of a National World War II memorial, and
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio introduced legislation to
establish the memorial in the District of Columbia to honor members
of the Armed Forces who served in World War II and to commemorate the
participation of the United States in that war;

Whereas, in Public Law 103-32 (107 Stat. 90; 40 U.S.C. 8903 note),
approved May 25, 1993, Congress authorized the American Battle
Monuments Commission, an independent Federal agency, to design and
construct the memorial;

Whereas the location selected as the site for the memorial, the Rainbow
Pool site on the National Mall at the east end of the Reflecting Pool
between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, was
dedicated on November 11, 1995;

Whereas, in an open competition, the American Battle Monuments
Commission selected Friedrich St. Florian as the design architect for
the memorial, and his final architectural design was approved by the
Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission,
and the Secretary of the Interior;

Whereas the late Representative Bob Stump of Arizona, who served as
Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives, sponsored several
measures to expedite the funding and construction of the memorial,
which were enacted as sections 601, 602, and 603 of Public Law 106-
117 and Public Law 107-11;

Whereas after 8 years of planning, 6 years of public deliberation, and
4 years of fund raising, construction began on the memorial in
September 2001;

Whereas the memorial would not have been possible without the efforts
and dedication of National Chairman Senator Robert J. Dole and
National Co-Chairman Frederick W. Smith, who were instrumental in
raising over $194,000,000 for the construction of the memorial;

Whereas these generous contributions came from hundreds of thousands of
individual Americans, as well as corporations, foundations, veterans
groups, fraternal and professional organizations, States,
communities, and schools;

Whereas actor Tom Hanks, the Advertising Council, and the History
Channel played a key role in increasing public awareness of the
heroic achievements of American World War II veterans and the war
effort and in raising support for the memorial;

Whereas President George W. Bush will formally dedicate the memorial on
May 29, 2004;

Whereas the memorial will be a monument to the selfless sacrifice and
undaunted courage of the members of the United States Armed Forces
who served in World War II and a place of remembrance to honor the
more than 400,000 American servicemen and servicewomen who died in
that conflict defending the United States; and

Whereas the memorial will be a source of inspiration for current and
future generations of Americans, giving visitors to the memorial a
new appreciation for the accomplishments of America's World War II
generation, which united in the quest to free the world from tyranny:
Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress recognizes with humble gratitude the more than 16,000,000
veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces during World War
II and the Americans who supported the war effort on the home front and
celebrates the completion of the National World War II Memorial on the
National Mall in the District of Columbia.
Attest:

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

Secretary of the Senate.