A publication of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. ®
An organization chartered by the U.S. Congress
April 2000/May 2000
A Simple Plaque
By Jim Doyle, Chair, Public Affairs Committee
On Tuesday, May 9, the House of Representatives voted 421 to 0 to pass H.R. 3293, the In Memory Memorial Plaque bill.
Author of H.R. 3293 Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.).On April 27, VVA testified in favor of a companion bill in the Senate, S. 1921, before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation of the Senate Committee On Energy and Natural Resources. VVA’s Public Affairs Committee restated its strong support for the bill.
The intent of these two bills is very simple--recognition and respect for those who survived their service in Vietnam, but who subsequently died as a result of that service and who are not eligible to have their names engraved on The Wall.
In Memory Plaque advocate Ruth Coder Fitzgerald with husband Barry.The In Memory memorial plaque, measuring approximately three foot square and bearing no names, would be inscribed to acknowledge and honor these "hidden casualties of Vietnam." It would be placed somewhere on the 13-acre memorial site, not on or near The Wall itself.
S. 1921 would "authorize the placement within the site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of a plaque to honor Vietnam veterans who died after their service in the Vietnam War, but as a direct result of that service."VVA’s testimony in support of passage of the bill was clear and direct. "We believe the In Memory Plaque is an appropriate and necessary addition to the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. VVA believes that not to respect the sacrifice of those who served with honor and came home, only to die years later as a result of their service in Vietnam, is to dishonor all those who served."
As it has in the past, the U.S. Park Service opposes any addition to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, claiming that the memorial is complete and that no further additions are advised. The same argument was used by the Park Service in its opposition to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Project.
S.1921 still needs support in the Senate. HR 3293 had reached 260 co-sponsors by early April, while the Senate bill, had collected only thirty co-sponsors, leaving 70 Senators yet to take advantage of the opportunity to voice their support for the plaque.
Please be certain that both your Senators support S 1921. Remind them that this is an election year and that Veterans Vote!
E-mail us at TheVeteran@vva.org