Bill Text: VA HJR838 | 2015 | Regular Session | Enrolled


Bill Title: Commemorating the arrival of the French frigate Hermione at Virginia in 2015.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 8-4)

Status: (Passed) 2015-02-27 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ838ER) [HJR838 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2015-HJR838-Enrolled.html

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 838
Commemorating the arrival of the French frigate Hermione at Virginia in 2015.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 20, 2015
Agreed to by the Senate, February 27, 2015

WHEREAS, the French frigate Hermione, an accurate recreation of the American Revolutionary War frigate that ferried the Marquis de Lafayette from France to America and played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War, arrives in Yorktown on June 5, 2015; and

WHEREAS, the original Hermione sailed from France in 1780, carrying the Marquis de Lafayette on a transatlantic voyage to deliver a promise of troops and warships from the King of France to General George Washington; and

WHEREAS, in March 1781, the Hermione participated in the Battle of Chesapeake and later hosted the United States Congress in Philadelphia to celebrate the victory; the frigate then protected troops along the coasts of Long Island and Connecticut before participating in the Battle of Louisbourg in July 1781; and

WHEREAS, the Hermione delivered supplies and munitions to French and American troops in Chesapeake before taking an active part in the blockade of the York River, preventing the rescue of the British Army trapped at Yorktown; the frigate returned to France in 1782; and

WHEREAS, in 1992, members of the Centre International de la Mer initiated a project to build a reproduction of the Hermione using period-accurate construction methods where possible; construction began in 1997 and the ship passed sea trials in 2014; and

WHEREAS, the reproduction Hermione will take part in a goodwill voyage affirming the historic relationship between the United States and France, celebrating the spirit of the Marquis de Lafayette, and honoring the ship's unique role in the American Revolutionary War; and

WHEREAS, sailing from Port des Barques, France, the reproduction Hermione will arrive in Yorktown on June 5, 2015; the frigate will also make stops at other significant Revolutionary War sites, including Mount Vernon, Alexandria, Annapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Newport, Boston, Castine, and Halifax before returning to France; and

WHEREAS, the Hermione will be accompanied by a host of pier-side activities, including historical exhibitions, a heritage village, cultural events, educational programs, and outreach projects; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commemorate the arrival of the French frigate Hermione in Virginia in 2015; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Miles Young, president of Friends of Hermione-Lafayette in America, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the French frigate Hermione's unique role in the history of the Commonwealth and the United States.

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