Bill Text: PA HR331 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishing a select committee to conduct a study for the future of Soldiers' Grove and the continued use of the Medal of Honor Memorial Garden, known as the "Tides of War," located within Soldiers' Grove, and to provide for the necessary enhancements to this hallowed ground.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 43-18)

Status: (Passed) 2011-06-21 - Adopted (200-0) [HR331 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR331-Introduced.html

  

 

    

PRINTER'S NO.  2094

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

No.

331

Session of

2011

  

  

INTRODUCED BY BARRAR, SAINATO, AUMENT, BOBACK, BRENNAN, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CLYMER, DAVIS, DeWEESE, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FLECK, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRELL, HEFFLEY, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, M. K. KELLER, KILLION, KNOWLES, KOTIK, KULA, MAJOR, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MICCARELLI, MILLARD, MILNE, MURT, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PASHINSKI, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, SANTONI, SAYLOR, STEVENSON, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TAYLOR, THOMAS, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, HESS, BEAR AND DENLINGER, JUNE 14, 2011

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, JUNE 14, 2011  

  

  

  

A RESOLUTION

  

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Establishing a select committee to conduct a study for the

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future of Soldiers' Grove and the continued use of the Medal

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of Honor Memorial Garden, known as the "Tides of War,"

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located within Soldiers' Grove, and to provide for the

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necessary enhancements to this hallowed ground.

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WHEREAS, The area lying between the Forum Building and the

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Finance Building on the grounds of the State Capitol in

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Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was designated as "Soldiers' Grove"

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through act 75 of 1987; and

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WHEREAS, Soldiers' Grove is a hallowed location where armed

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forces personnel from the Commonwealth who are awarded the

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Congressional Medal of Honor are recognized by placing a

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memorial stone in their honor within Soldiers' Grove and it also

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is a location where past wars and conflicts in which the United

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States has engaged are recognized; and

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WHEREAS, Two large plaques mounted on waist-high posts along

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the western edge of Soldiers' Grove read: "This Grove is

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dedicated by a grateful Commonwealth in recognition of the

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Soldiers and Sailors who served in any of this country's wars

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and in memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice"; and

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WHEREAS, Act 75 of 1987 requires the Department of General

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Services to provide ten memorial bronze plaques on granite

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plinths commemorating: Pennsylvania's Unknown Veterans, the

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Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War,

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the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I,

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World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict; and

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WHEREAS, In 1994, the Medal of Honor Memorial Garden, known

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as the "Tides of War," was installed in Soldiers' Grove and was

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designed by artists Winifred Lutz and Stacy Levi. There are 13

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arcs within the Tides of War representing conflicts from the

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Civil War through the Somalia Conflict, and within each arc are

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contained memorial stones honoring each of Pennsylvania's 378

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Medal of Honor recipients. Following these arcs is an area

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identified as the "Shores of Peace"; and

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WHEREAS, In 1996, six flagpoles were installed in a

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semicircle pattern at the entrance of Soldiers' Grove nearest

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the Capitol to honor each of the United States' military

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branches and also to honor our Prisoners of War and our Missing

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in Action soldiers; and

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WHEREAS, In 2006, a Historical Highway Marker was placed in

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the southeast corner of Soldiers' Grove to commemorate the

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"United States Colored Troops Grand Review" that took place on

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the site in November of 1865; and

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WHEREAS, Commencing on the western end of Soldiers' Grove and

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moving east, every two feet within the Tides of War represents

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one year in history, ending at the beginning of the Shores of

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Peace; and

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WHEREAS, The last memorial stone placed within the Tides of

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War, in terms of chronological order, recognizes Army Private

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First Class Ross A. McGinnis for his heroic actions on December

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4, 2006, in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq; and

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WHEREAS, There is limited space for the Tides of War to

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continue within Soldiers' Grove as there are currently fewer

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than 20 feet of open grass now available between the memorial

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stone honoring Private First Class McGinnis and the Shores of

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Peace; and

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WHEREAS, The Commonwealth, due to this limited space, will

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not be able to memorialize and honor Pennsylvania's Medal of

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Honor recipients with the placement of a memorial stone beyond a

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projected date of 2016; and

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WHEREAS, It will be difficult to maintain symmetry and

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chronological order if plaques are placed within Soldiers' Grove

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to recognize other conflicts beyond those currently recognized

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through the ten existing bronze plaques on granite plinths; and

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WHEREAS, Soldiers' Grove is a landmark on the grounds of the

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State Capitol and, as such, deserves to be preserved and

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continued for our posterity; and

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WHEREAS, It is fitting to assemble a select committee to

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investigate the current issues facing Soldiers' Grove and to

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devise a plan for its future use as a place to honor our Medal

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of Honor recipients; therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives form a select

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committee to conduct a study for the future of Soldiers' Grove

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and the continued use of the Medal of Honor Memorial Garden,

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known as the "Tides of War," located within Soldiers' Grove, and

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to provide for the necessary enhancements to allow for the

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continued use of this hallowed ground; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the select committee be composed of 11 members

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which shall include the chairman and minority chairman of the

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Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the

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House of Representatives, three members designated by the

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Speaker of the House of Representatives, two members designated

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by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, two

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members designated by the chairman of the Veterans Affairs and

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Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of

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Representatives, two members designated by the minority chairman

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of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of

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the House of Representatives; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That each select committee member may appoint a

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designee to represent the member if the member is unable to

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participate in or attend a committee function; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the chairman of the Veterans Affairs and

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Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives

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serve as chairman of the select committee and the minority

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Chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness

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Committee of the House of Representatives serve as the vice

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chairman of the select committee; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the chairman of the select committee use

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staff of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness

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Committee of the House of Representatives for administration

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purposes for the select committee; be it further

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RESOLVED, That the select committee meet on the grounds of

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the State Capitol Complex, at times that best fit the needs and

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conveniences of the committee members; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the select committee hold hearings, take

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testimony and seek out additional resources to complete the work

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of the committee; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the select committee make a report of its

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findings and any recommendations for remedial legislation or

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other appropriate action to the House of Representatives on or

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before November 30, 2012.

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