A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a theme study to identify sites and resources to commemorate and interpret the Cold War.

Mr. President, 75 years ago yesterday, the U.S. conducted the first nuclear test on American soil--the detonation of a one- kiloton nuclear device in an area known as Frenchman Flat at the Nevada Test Site.

Conducted in extraordinary secrecy, this first nuclear testing program, known as Project Nutmeg, was representative of the efforts of countless Americans in the 50 year struggle we know as the Cold War.

Lasting half a century, the Cold War was the longest sustained conflict in U.S. history. The nuclear capabilities of our enemy posed literally an existential threat to our Nation. The threat of mass destruction left a permanent mark on American life.

The U.S. prevailed over this grave threat, through the technological achievement, patriotism, and sacrifice of the people of the great State of Nevada, and of others throughout the Nation.

It has been 18 years since the Malta Conference that marked the end of the Cold War, yet the contributions and sacrifices of generations of Americans have largely gone unrecognized.

The time has come to recognize and honor those Americans who toiled in relative obscurity to bring us victory during this most dangerous conflict in our Nation's history.

Today I introduce a bill that requires the Department of the Interior to conduct a study to identify sites and resources to commemorate heroes of the Cold War, and to interpret the Cold War for future generations.

My legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a ``Cold War Advisory Committee'' to oversee the inventory of Cold War sites and resources; for potential inclusion in the National Park System; as national historic landmarks; or other appropriate designations.

The Advisory Committee will work closely with State and local governments and local historical organizations. The Committee's starting point will be a Cold War study completed by the Secretary of Defense under the 1991 Defense Appropriations Act. Obvious Cold War sites of significance include: intercontinental ballistic missile launch sites; flight training centers; communications and command centers, such as Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado; nuclear weapons test sites, such as the Nevada Test Site; and sites of other strategic and tactical significance.

Perhaps no state in the union played a more sigificant role than Nevada in winning the Cold War.

The Nevada Test Site is a high-technology engineering marvel where the U.S. developed, tested, and perfected a nuclear deterrent that formed the cornerstone of America's security and leadership among nations. Of the 1,149 nuclear detonations conducted by U.S. as part of its nuclear testing program, 1,021 were performed at the Nevada Test Site.

The Naval Air Station at Fallon, NV, home of the Navy's preeminent tactical air warfare training center, was also the site of Cold War-era nuclear testing.

Hawthorne Army Depot, formerly known as the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant, likewise played an important role throughout the Cold War, serving as a staging area for conventional bombs, rockets, and ammunition as it had done since World War II.

Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas, home of the first dedicated air warfare and later air/ground training facility, provided to Cold War aviators and continues to provide advanced air combat training for U.S. and Allied forces.

Generations of Nevadans bore and continue to bear extraordinary costs as a result of these critical contributions to the Cold War effort.

The Advisory Committee established under this legislation will develop an interpretive handbook telling the story of the Cold War and its heroes.

I'd like to take a moment to relate a story of one group of Cold War heroes.

On a snowy evening, November 17, 1955, a U.S. Air Force C-54 cargo plane crashed near the summit of Mount Charleston in rural Nevada.

Kept secret for years, we now know that the four aircrew and ten scientists aboard the doomed aircraft were bound for the secret Air Force Flight Test Center, where they were developing a top-secret spy plane that would become known as the U-2.

These men who gave their lives that day helped build the plane that many critics said could never be built. Owing to the efforts of men like these, the critics were proved wrong: the U-2 remains a vital component of our reconnaissance forces to this day.

As a result of the absolute secrecy surrounding their work, the families of the men who perished on Mount Charleston only recently learned the true circumstances of the crash that

took the lives of their loved ones and the nature of their vital work.

This legislation will provide $500,000 to identify historic landmarks, like the Mount Charleston crash site, to recognize and pay tribute to the sacrifices of these men and others.

I would like to reiterate my thanks for Mr. Steve Ririe of Las Vegas, whose tireless efforts brought to light the events surrounding the death of these fourteen men on Mount Charleston over fifty years ago, and for the efforts of State Senator Raymond Rawson, who shepherded through the Nevada legislature a resolution honoring these heroes.

A grateful Nation owes a debt of supreme gratitude to the silent heroes of the Cold War. I urge my colleagues to support this long- overdue tribute to the contribution and sacrifice of these Americans.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, 75 years ago yesterday, the U.S. conducted the first nuclear test on American soil--the detonation of a one- kiloton nuclear device in an area known as Frenchman Flat at the Nevada Test Site.

Conducted in extraordinary secrecy, this first nuclear testing program, known as Project Nutmeg, was representative of the efforts of countless Americans in the 50 year struggle we know as the Cold War.

Lasting half a century, the Cold War was the longest sustained conflict in U.S. history. The nuclear capabilities of our enemy posed literally an existential threat to our Nation. The threat of mass destruction left a permanent mark on American life.

The U.S. prevailed over this grave threat, through the technological achievement, patriotism, and sacrifice of the people of the great State of Nevada, and of others throughout the Nation.

It has been 18 years since the Malta Conference that marked the end of the Cold War, yet the contributions and sacrifices of generations of Americans have largely gone unrecognized.

The time has come to recognize and honor those Americans who toiled in relative obscurity to bring us victory during this most dangerous conflict in our Nation's history.

Today I introduce a bill that requires the Department of the Interior to conduct a study to identify sites and resources to commemorate heroes of the Cold War, and to interpret the Cold War for future generations.

My legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a ``Cold War Advisory Committee'' to oversee the inventory of Cold War sites and resources; for potential inclusion in the National Park System; as national historic landmarks; or other appropriate designations.

The Advisory Committee will work closely with State and local governments and local historical organizations. The Committee's starting point will be a Cold War study completed by the Secretary of Defense under the 1991 Defense Appropriations Act. Obvious Cold War sites of significance include: intercontinental ballistic missile launch sites; flight training centers; communications and command centers, such as Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado; nuclear weapons test sites, such as the Nevada Test Site; and sites of other strategic and tactical significance.

Perhaps no state in the union played a more sigificant role than Nevada in winning the Cold War.

The Nevada Test Site is a high-technology engineering marvel where the U.S. developed, tested, and perfected a nuclear deterrent that formed the cornerstone of America's security and leadership among nations. Of the 1,149 nuclear detonations conducted by U.S. as part of its nuclear testing program, 1,021 were performed at the Nevada Test Site.

The Naval Air Station at Fallon, NV, home of the Navy's preeminent tactical air warfare training center, was also the site of Cold War-era nuclear testing.

Hawthorne Army Depot, formerly known as the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant, likewise played an important role throughout the Cold War, serving as a staging area for conventional bombs, rockets, and ammunition as it had done since World War II.

Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas, home of the first dedicated air warfare and later air/ground training facility, provided to Cold War aviators and continues to provide advanced air combat training for U.S. and Allied forces.

Generations of Nevadans bore and continue to bear extraordinary costs as a result of these critical contributions to the Cold War effort.

The Advisory Committee established under this legislation will develop an interpretive handbook telling the story of the Cold War and its heroes.

I'd like to take a moment to relate a story of one group of Cold War heroes.

On a snowy evening, November 17, 1955, a U.S. Air Force C-54 cargo plane crashed near the summit of Mount Charleston in rural Nevada.

Kept secret for years, we now know that the four aircrew and ten scientists aboard the doomed aircraft were bound for the secret Air Force Flight Test Center, where they were developing a top-secret spy plane that would become known as the U-2.

These men who gave their lives that day helped build the plane that many critics said could never be built. Owing to the efforts of men like these, the critics were proved wrong: the U-2 remains a vital component of our reconnaissance forces to this day.

As a result of the absolute secrecy surrounding their work, the families of the men who perished on Mount Charleston only recently learned the true circumstances of the crash that

took the lives of their loved ones and the nature of their vital work.

This legislation will provide $500,000 to identify historic landmarks, like the Mount Charleston crash site, to recognize and pay tribute to the sacrifices of these men and others.

I would like to reiterate my thanks for Mr. Steve Ririe of Las Vegas, whose tireless efforts brought to light the events surrounding the death of these fourteen men on Mount Charleston over fifty years ago, and for the efforts of State Senator Raymond Rawson, who shepherded through the Nevada legislature a resolution honoring these heroes.

A grateful Nation owes a debt of supreme gratitude to the silent heroes of the Cold War. I urge my colleagues to support this long- overdue tribute to the contribution and sacrifice of these Americans.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1816, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a commemorative trail in connection with the Women's Rights National Historical Park to link properties that are historically and thematically associated with the struggle for women's suffrage, and for other purposes; S. 2093, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in the State of Vermont for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; S. 2535, to revise the boundary of the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, and for other purposes; S. 2561, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a theme study to identify sites and resources to commemorate and interpret the Cold War; S. 3011, to amend the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site Act of 1991 to expand the boundaries of the historic site, and for other purposes; S. 3113, to reinstate the Interim Management Strategy governing off-road vehicle use in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina, pending the issuance of a final rule for off-road vehicle use by the National Park Service; S. 3148, to modify the boundary of the Oregon Caves National Monument, and for other purposes; S. 3158, to extend the authority for the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission; S. 3226, to rename the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in the State of Kentucky as the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park; S. 3247, to provide for the designation of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park in the State of Michigan; and H.R. 5137, to ensure that hunting remains a purpose of the New River Gorge National River.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Rachel Pasternack at (202) 224-0883.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the memory of Margaret Lois Pryor Queen. Born 86 years ago in Henderson County, North Carolina, Lois Queen was a tireless advocate throughout her life for children in western North Carolina.

In 1942, Lois Queen graduated from Western Carolina Teachers College as the first female majoring in physical education. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, she worked as a schoolteacher and an elementary school principal in North Carolina and Fairfax County, Virginia. She earned a master's degree in education from American University in 1969, while serving as a school principal.

In 1972, Queen was instrumental in the creation of the Southwestern Child Development Commission, a nonprofit agency designed to coordinate and generate community resources to support high quality child care services, including developmental day care, in the westernmost seven counties of North Carolina. Queen became the director of the Southwestern Child Development Commission in 1972. The organization now has a staff of over 300, and serves more than 2,000 children per month.

In the 1980's, Lois Queen continued to advocate for children as the chair of the North Carolina Day Care Commission. Even during her retirement, she served on the boards of the Southwestern Child Development Commission and REACH of Haywood County.

Lois Queen leaves behind 5 children and many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. I offer my sincere condolences to them. They are in my thoughts and prayers. I would also like to offer my gratitude to those who follow the legacy of Lois Queen, and work with the Southwestern Child Development Commission to advocate each day on behalf of the children of western North Carolina.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing remorse at to the passing of Lois Queen. Her life was an example of service and advocacy for all of us to follow.