IV
108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 195
Expressing the sense of Congress that a minute of silence should be observed
annually at 11:00 a.m. on Veterans Day, November 11, in honor of
the veterans of all United States wars and to memorialize those members
of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in the defense of the United
States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 22, 2003
Mr. CLAY (for himself, Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA´, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN,
Mr. PALLONE, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. COSTELLO, Mrs. EMERSON, Ms.
LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. BERRY, Mr. FROST,
Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. ROSS, Mr. GRAVES, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, and
Mr. STRICKLAND) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that a minute of silence
should be observed annually at 11:00 a.m. on Veterans
Day, November 11, in honor of the veterans of all United
States wars and to memorialize those members of the
Armed Forces who gave their lives in the defense of
the United States.
Whereas Reverend George Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Rev-
erend Clark Poling, and Father John Washington served
aboard the USAT Dorchester during World War II;
•HCON 195 IH
Whereas Reverend Fox, Rabbi Goode, Reverend Poling, and
Father Washington were referred to as the ‘‘Four Chap-
lains’’;
Whereas, on February 3, 1943, the Dorchester was hit by an
enemy torpedo and began to sink;
Whereas in the face of grave danger the Four Chaplains
sought to calm and reassure the men on board;
Whereas the Four Chaplains handed out lifejackets and di-
rected the frightened men to lifeboats;
Whereas when the last lifejacket had been handed out, the
Four Chaplains removed their own lifejackets and gave
them to four men who had none;
Whereas the Dorchester sank and took with her 672 men and
the Four Chaplains, who stood arm in arm with their
heads bowed in prayer and went down with the ship;
Whereas none of the Four Chaplains inquired about whether
the young man to whom he gave his lifejacket was a
member of his own faith;
Whereas the Four Chaplains will remain forever in the
memories of Americans as an example of the kind of her-
oism which has always characterized the best of the
United States Armed Forces;
Whereas the sacrifice of the Four Chaplains stand as a testi-
mony to all heroic veterans who have fought for the
United States;
Whereas each year on November 11 the United States pays
tribute to its war dead and veterans in a national observ-
ance known as Veterans Day; and
Whereas a national minute of silence observed annually at
11:00 a.m. on Veterans Day, November 11, would pro-
•HCON 195 IH
vide the people of the United States with an opportunity
to honor the veterans of all United States wars and me-
morialize those members of the Armed Forces who gave
their lives in defense of the United States: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that a minute
of silence should be observed annually at 11:00 a.m. on
Veterans Day, November 11, in honor of the veterans of
all United States wars and to memorialize those members
of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in the defense
of the United States.
Æ