IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 191

Recognizing and honoring Medal of Honor recipients for their selfless acts

for our Nation, and commending IPALCO Enterprises for its contributions to honor each of these American heroes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 26, 1999

Ms. CARSON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Armed Services

RESOLUTION

Recognizing and honoring Medal of Honor recipients for

their selfless acts for our Nation, and commending

IPALCO Enterprises for its contributions to honor each

of these American heroes.

Whereas a new memorial in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana,

will honor every Medal of Honor recipient individually;

Whereas the memorial dedication on Friday, May 28, 1999,

will be attended by one of the largest ever gatherings of

Medal of Honor recipients;

Whereas the memorial will feature the names of the 3,410

people who have received the Medal of Honor, the Nation’s highest military award for valor;
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•HRES 191 IH

Whereas the Medal of Honor is awarded by the President in

the name of Congress, and for this reason is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor;

Whereas since it was first awarded in 1863, 3,410 individuals

have been awarded the Medal of Honor;

Whereas 19 individuals have received the Medal of Honor

twice;

Whereas 2,363 Medals of Honor have been awarded to members of the Army, 745 to members of the Navy, 295 to

members of the Marines, 16 to members of the Air

Force, 1 to a member of the Coast Guard, and 19 to unknowns;

Whereas there are 162 living recipients;

Whereas the Medal of Honor is only bestowed on those who

have performed an act of ‘‘gallantry and intrepidity at

the risk of . . . life above and beyond the call of duty’’;

Whereas acts of bravery and courage are not unusual among

those in uniform, and engaging in direct battle with an

enemy or carrying out one’s duties under enemy attack

is an act of bravery and courage performed by many

members of our Armed Forces;

Whereas the level of heroism cited among those who receive

the Medal of Honor is uncommonly high and of a far

greater magnitude;

Whereas there are 3 types of Medals of Honor today: the

original star shape established in 1861 which the Navy,

Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have retained; a wreath

version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered

wreath version adopted by the Air Force in 1965;
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Whereas IPALCO Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based energy

company, has provided the memorial, including design,

construction, and future maintenance, as a gift to the

Medal of Honor recipients and to the Nation;

Whereas the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial will be

located on the north bank of the Central Canal in White

River State Park;

Whereas the location of the memorial is particularly significant, since it is adjacent to Military Park, which served

as a training facility during the Civil War;

Whereas nearly half of the Medals of Honor issued, 1,520,

were bestowed upon soldiers who fought in the Civil War;

Whereas the memorial will be composed of curved walls of

glass, each representing a specific United States military

engagement in which the Medal of Honor was awarded;

Whereas the glass walls will bear the names of all 3,410 individuals who have received the Medal of Honor, along with

their branch of service and the location of their heroic action;

Whereas steps, benches, and a grassy area will provide seating for visitors, and each day at dusk the memorial’s

sound system will play the recorded stories of medal recipients or of the conflicts in which they fought;

Whereas the memorial was designed by ROAMworks, an Indianapolis-based landscape architecture firm, the general

contractor is Hagerman Construction Corporation, and

the electrical contractor is Miller-Eads Company, Inc.;

Whereas IPALCO and the Central Indiana Building Trade

Association have agreed that all work on the memorial

will be done by labor union members; and
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Whereas a majority of the 162 living Medal of Honor recipients will be present to participate in the May 28, 1999,

event: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes and honors all recipients of the Medal of Honor for

3 their selfless contributions to our Nation, and commends

4 IPALCO Enterprises for its contributions to honor each

5 of these American heroes.

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