IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 822 
Honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Max Cleland. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 23, 2021 
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia (for herself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. DAVID 
SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mrs. MCBATH, Ms. 
BOURDEAUX, Mr. CLYDE, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. 
LOUDERMILK, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, and Mr. FERGUSON) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Max Cleland. 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born August 24, 1942, 
in Atlanta, Georgia, the child of Juanita Kesler Cleland 
and Joseph Hughie Cleland, a World War II veteran, and 
grew up in Lithonia, Georgia; 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland graduated from Stetson 
University in Florida in 1964, and received his Master’s 
Degree in history from Emory University in Atlanta, 
Georgia; 
Whereas, following his graduation from Stetson University, 
Joseph Maxwell Cleland received a Second Lieutenant’s 
Commission in the Army through its Reserve Officers’ 
Training Corps program; 
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•HRES 822 IH 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for duty in the 
Vietnam War in 1967, serving with the 1st Cavalry Divi-
sion; 
Whereas, on April 8, 1968, during combat at the mountain 
base at Khe Sanh, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was gravely 
injured by the blast of a grenade, eventually losing both 
his legs and right arm; 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the Bronze 
Star for meritorious service and the Silver Star for gal-
lantry in action; 
Whereas, in 1970, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the 
Georgia Senate as the youngest member and the only 
Vietnam veteran, where he served until 1975; 
Whereas, as a Georgia State Senator, Joseph Maxwell 
Cleland authored and advanced legislation to ensure ac-
cess to public facilities in Georgia for elderly and handi-
capped individuals; 
Whereas, in 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began serving as 
a staffer on the Committee on Veterans Affairs of the 
Senate; 
Whereas, in 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by 
President Jimmy Carter to lead the Veterans Administra-
tion; 
Whereas he was the youngest Administrator of the Veterans 
Administration ever and the first Vietnam veteran to 
head the agency; 
Whereas he served as a champion for veterans and led the 
Veterans Administration to recognize, and begin to treat, 
post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans suffering the 
invisible wounds of war; 
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•HRES 822 IH 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 1982 as 
Georgia’s Secretary of State, the youngest individual to 
hold the office, and served in that position for 14 years; 
Whereas, in 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the 
United States Senate representing Georgia; 
Whereas, as a member of the Committee on Armed Services, 
Joseph Maxwell Cleland advocated for Georgia’s military 
bases, servicemembers, and veterans, including by cham-
pioning key personnel issues, playing a critical role in the 
effort to allow servicemembers to pass their GI Bill edu-
cation benefits to their children, and establishing a new 
veterans cemetery in Canton, Georgia; 
Whereas, in 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed to 
the 9/11 Commission; 
Whereas, in 2003, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by 
President George W. Bush to the Board of Directors for 
the Export-Import Bank of the United States, where he 
served until 2007; 
Whereas, in 2009, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by 
President Barack Obama as Secretary of the American 
Battle Monuments Commission overseeing United States 
military cemeteries and monuments overseas, where he 
served until 2017; 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored 3 books: Strong 
at the Broken Places, Going for the Max: 12 Principles 
for Living Life to the Fullest, and Heart of a Patriot; 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous honors 
and awards over the course of his long and distinguished 
career; 
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, veteran, and 
lifelong civil servant who proudly served Georgia, the 
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•HRES 822 IH 
United States, and all veterans and servicemembers of 
the United States; and 
Whereas, on November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Joseph 
Maxwell Cleland died, leaving behind a legacy of service, 
sacrifice, and joy: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) the House of Representatives— 
(A) has heard with profound sorrow and 
deep regret the announcement of the death of 
Joseph Maxwell Cleland; 
(B) honors the life and legacy of the late 
Senator Joseph Maxwell Cleland for his— 
(i) courage and sacrifice in combat in 
the Vietnam War; 
(ii) unwavering dedication to Georgia 
as a State Senator, Secretary of State, and 
Senator; and 
(iii) honorable service to the United 
States and veterans of the United States 
through his lifetime of public service and 
tenure as Administrator of the Veterans 
Administration; 
(C) 
proclaims 
that 
Joseph 
Maxwell 
Cleland— 
(i) represented the best of Georgia’s 
commitment to the United States; and 
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•HRES 822 IH 
(ii) served continually for more than 
50 years with an unwavering commitment 
to public service; and 
(D) respectfully requests that the Clerk of 
the House of Representatives— 
(i) communicate this resolution to the 
Senate; and 
(ii) transmit an enrolled copy of this 
resolution to the family of Joseph Maxwell 
Cleland; and 
(2) when the House adjourns today, it stand 
adjourned as a further mark of respect to the mem-
ory of Joseph Maxwell Cleland. 
Æ 
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