II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2320 

To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to provide for the 

ongoing maintenance of Clark Veterans Cemetery in the Republic of 

the Philippines, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 19, 2012 

Ms. AYOTTE (for herself and Mr. BEGICH) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to 

provide for the ongoing maintenance of Clark Veterans 

Cemetery in the Republic of the Philippines, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Remembering Amer5 ica’s Forgotten Veterans Cemetery Act of 2012’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Clark Veterans Cemetery, located in the Re2 public of the Philippines, contains the remains of 

3 more than 8,300 members of the United States 

4 Armed Forces and their dependents. 

5 (2) In 1991, following the eruption of Mount 

6 Pinatubo, the Air Force evacuated Clark Air Force 

7 Base ending more than 90 years of custodianship of 

8 Clark Veterans Cemetery and its predecessor ceme9 teries by the United States Government. 

10 (3) From 1991 until 1994, Clark Veterans 

11 Cemetery, already covered by a layer of volcanic ash, 

12 deteriorated further as plant life overtook what re13 mained of many graves and monuments, failing to 

14 give the members of the Armed Forces and veterans 

15 interred at Clark Veterans Cemetery the honorable 

16 resting place their brave service deserves. 

17 (4) Since 1994, volunteers have attempted to 

18 maintain Clark Veterans Cemetery without assist19 ance from the United States Government. 

20 (5) The mission of the American Battle Monu21 ments Commission is ‘‘designing, constructing, oper22 ating and maintaining permanent American ceme23 teries in foreign countries’’. 

24 (6) Subsection (a) of section 2102 of title 36, 

25 United States Code, provides the Commission with 


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1 the authority to employ such personnel as may be 

2 necessary for the Commission to carry out its re3 sponsibilities with respect to Clark Veteran Ceme4 tery. 

5 (7) Subsection (b) of such section authorizes 

6 departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the 

7 United States Government to make personnel and 

8 facilities available to the Commission, on a reimburs9 able basis, to assist the Commission in carrying out 

10 its responsibilities with respect to Clark Veterans 

11 Cemetery. 

12 (8) Section 2103(e) of such title authorizes the 

13 Commission to solicit and receive funds and in-kind 

14 donations and gifts from any State, municipal, or 

15 private source to help carry out its responsibilities 

16 with respect to Clark Veterans Cemetery. 

17 SEC. 3. MAINTENANCE OF CLARK VETERANS CEMETERY BY 

18 AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMIS19 SION. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 2104 of 

21 title 36, United States Code, Clark Veterans Cemetery in 

22 the Republic of the Philippines shall be treated as a ceme23 tery that the American Battle Monuments Commission 

24 and the Secretary of the Army decided under such section 

25 will become a permanent cemetery and the Commission 


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1 shall restore, operate, and maintain Clark Veterans Ceme2 tery under such section in cooperation with the Govern3 ment of the Republic of the Philippines. 

4 (b) FUNDING.—The requirement of subsection (a) for 

5 the American Battle Monuments Commission to restore, 

6 operate, and maintain Clark Veterans Cemetery shall be 

7 subject to the availability of appropriations for the restora8 tion, operation, and maintenance of cemeteries by the 

9 American Battle Monuments Commission. 

Æ 


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