I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2717 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate one city in the 

United States each year as an ‘‘American World War II City’’, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 1, 2011 

Mr. MCINTYRE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate 

one city in the United States each year as an ‘‘American 

World War II City’’, 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. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) Many cities across the United States con6 tributed to the war effort during World War II, in7 cluding through defense manufacturing, bond drives, 

8 service in the Armed Forces, and the presence of 

9 military facilities within the city. 


tjames on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2717 IH

1 (2) Many of those cities have sought to preserve 

2 the history of those contributions, including through 

3 the establishment of preservation organizations or 

4 museums, restoration of World War II facilities, and 

5 recognition of World War II veterans. 

6 (3) The city of Wilmington, North Carolina, 

7 made remarkable contributions to the United States 

8 war efforts during World War II. 

9 (4) During World War II, Wilmington was the 

10 country’s unique wartime boomtown, aptly and offi11 cially named ‘‘The Defense Capital of the State’’. 

12 (5) Wilmington based and trained all five mili13 tary services: the predecessor to the Air Force at the 

14 Wilmington Airport, the Army at Camp Davis and 

15 Fort Fisher, the Navy at Fort Caswell, the Coast 

16 Guard at Wrightsville Beach, and the Marine Corps 

17 at Camp Lejeune. 

18 (6) The North Carolina Shipbuilding Company 

19 of Wilmington, the State’s largest employer at that 

20 time, constructed 243 cargo vessels with which to 

21 provide goods and equipment to our soldiers. 

22 (7) Wilmington provided the Atlantic Coast 

23 Line Railroad headquarters, three housing camps for 

24 German prisoners of war, a major training base for 

25 P–47 fighters, defense industries producing goods 


tjames on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2717 IH

1 and equipment, a British patrol base, and a shipping 

2 point for Lend Lease supplies to the Allies. 

3 (8) Wilmington dispatched thousands of its 

4 sons and daughters to fight the enemy on land, sea, 

5 and air as Navy frogmen, P–51 fighter aces, 

6 Tuskegee Airmen, submarine skippers, bomber pi7 lots, Marine riflemen, Army artillerymen, physicians 

8 and nurses, and volunteers of all sorts. 

9 (9) Wilmington tragically lost 248 men as a re10 sult of their courageous efforts to defend the United 

11 States, and two New Hanover High School grad12 uates received the Congressional Medal of Honor 

13 and numerous others received high decorations for 

14 valor, including Navy Crosses, Distinguished Service 

15 Crosses, and Distinguished Flying Crosses. 

16 (10) Wilmington’s strategic position made it 

17 vulnerable to enemy attack by German U-boats, 

18 which marauded shipping off our beaches. In July 

19 1943, in perhaps the only German attack on the 

20 United States, a U-boat fired at the Ethel-Dow 

21 chemical plant in Wilmington. Wilmington endured 

22 this attack, as well as constant civilian defense re23 strictions and air raid drills, including black-outs 

24 and dim-outs. The city’s population more than dou25 bled with the influx of military personnel, forcing 


tjames on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2717 IH

1 locals to cope with strain on housing and schools, 

2 transportation, medical and social services, law en3 forcement, and food supply. 

4 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF AMERICAN WORLD WAR II CITIES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

6 shall designate one city in the United States each year 

7 as an ‘‘American World War II City’’. 

8 (b) CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION.—The Secretary 

9 shall make each designation under subsection (a) based 

10 on the following criteria: 

11 (1) Contributions by a city to the war effort 

12 during World War II, including those related to de13 fense manufacturing, bond drives, service in the 

14 Armed Forces, and the presence of military facilities 

15 within the city. 

16 (2) Efforts by a city to preserve the history of 

17 the city’s contributions during World War II, includ18 ing through the establishment of preservation orga19 nizations or museums, restoration of World War II 

20 facilities, and recognition of World War II veterans. 

21 (c) FIRST AMERICAN WORLD WAR II CITY.—The 

22 city of Wilmington, North Carolina, is designated as an 

23 ‘‘American World War II City’’. 

Æ 


tjames on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with BILLS