III 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 409
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 13, 2004
Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing with humble gratitude the more than 16,000,000 
veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces 
during World War II and the Americans who supported 
the war effort on the home front and celebrating the 
completion of the National World War II Memorial on 
the National Mall in the District of Columbia.
Whereas the National World War II Memorial on the Na-
tional Mall in the District of Columbia will be the first 
national memorial to both recognize the courage, bravery, 
and unselfish dedication of the members of the United 
States Armed Forces who served in World War II and 
those who served on the home front and acknowledge the
HCON 409 RFS 
commitment and achievement of the entire American peo-
ple in that conflict; 
Whereas World War II veteran Roger Durbin of Berkey, 
Ohio, first proposed the construction of a National World 
War II memorial, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of 
Ohio introduced legislation to establish the memorial in 
the District of Columbia to honor members of the Armed 
Forces who served in World War II and to commemorate 
the participation of the United States in that war; 
Whereas, in Public Law 103–32 (107 Stat. 90; 40 U.S.C. 
8903 note), approved May 25, 1993, Congress authorized 
the American Battle Monuments Commission, an inde-
pendent Federal agency, to design and construct the me-
morial; 
Whereas the location selected as the site for the memorial, 
the Rainbow Pool site on the National Mall at the east 
end of the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial 
and the Washington Monument, was dedicated on No-
vember 11, 1995; 
Whereas, in an open competition, the American Battle Monu-
ments Commission selected Friedrich St. Florian as the 
design architect for the memorial, and his final architec-
tural design was approved by the Commission of Fine 
Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the 
Secretary of the Interior; 
Whereas the late Representative Bob Stump of Arizona, who 
served as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House 
of Representatives, sponsored several measures to expe-
dite the funding and construction of the memorial, which
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were enacted as sections 601, 602, and 603 of Public 
Law 106–117 and Public Law 107–11; 
Whereas after eight years of planning, six years of public de-
liberation, and four years of fund raising, construction 
began on the memorial in September 2001; 
Whereas the memorial would not have been possible without 
the efforts and dedication of National Chairman Senator 
Robert J. Dole and National Co-Chairman Frederick W. 
Smith, 
who 
were 
instrumental 
in 
raising 
over 
$194,000,000 for the construction of the memorial; 
Whereas these generous contributions came from hundreds of 
thousands of individual Americans, as well as corpora-
tions, foundations, veterans groups, fraternal and profes-
sional organizations, States, communities, and schools; 
Whereas actor Tom Hanks, the Advertising Council, and the 
History Channel played a key role in increasing public 
awareness of the heroic achievements of American World 
War II veterans and the war effort and in raising sup-
port for the memorial; 
Whereas President George W. Bush will formally dedicate the 
memorial on May 29, 2004; 
Whereas the memorial will be a monument to the selfless sac-
rifice and undaunted courage of the members of the 
United States Armed Forces who served in World War 
II and a place of remembrance to honor the more than 
400,000 American servicemen and servicewomen who 
died in that conflict defending the United States; and 
Whereas the memorial will be a source of inspiration for cur-
rent and future generations of Americans, giving visitors 
to the memorial a new appreciation for the accomplish-
ments of America’s World War II generation, which
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united in the quest to free the world from tyranny: Now, 
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress recognizes with humble grati-
tude the more than 16,000,000 veterans who served in the 
United States Armed Forces during World War II and 
the Americans who supported the war effort on the home 
front and celebrates the completion of the National World 
War II Memorial on the National Mall in the District of 
Columbia.
Passed the House of Representatives May 12, 2004. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.