IV
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 191
Recognizing and honoring Medal of Honor recipients for their selfless acts
for our Nation, and commending IPALCO Enterprises for its contribu-
tions to honor each of these American heroes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 26, 1999
Ms. CARSON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
RESOLUTION
Recognizing and honoring Medal of Honor recipients for
their selfless acts for our Nation, and commending
IPALCO Enterprises for its contributions to honor each
of these American heroes.
Whereas a new memorial in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana,
will honor every Medal of Honor recipient individually;
Whereas the memorial dedication on Friday, May 28, 1999,
will be attended by one of the largest ever gatherings of
Medal of Honor recipients;
Whereas the memorial will feature the names of the 3,410
people who have received the Medal of Honor, the Na-
tion’s highest military award for valor;
•HRES 191 IH
Whereas the Medal of Honor is awarded by the President in
the name of Congress, and for this reason is often re-
ferred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor;
Whereas since it was first awarded in 1863, 3,410 individuals
have been awarded the Medal of Honor;
Whereas 19 individuals have received the Medal of Honor
twice;
Whereas 2,363 Medals of Honor have been awarded to mem-
bers of the Army, 745 to members of the Navy, 295 to
members of the Marines, 16 to members of the Air
Force, 1 to a member of the Coast Guard, and 19 to un-
knowns;
Whereas there are 162 living recipients;
Whereas the Medal of Honor is only bestowed on those who
have performed an act of ‘‘gallantry and intrepidity at
the risk of . . . life above and beyond the call of duty’’;
Whereas acts of bravery and courage are not unusual among
those in uniform, and engaging in direct battle with an
enemy or carrying out one’s duties under enemy attack
is an act of bravery and courage performed by many
members of our Armed Forces;
Whereas the level of heroism cited among those who receive
the Medal of Honor is uncommonly high and of a far
greater magnitude;
Whereas there are 3 types of Medals of Honor today: the
original star shape established in 1861 which the Navy,
Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have retained; a wreath
version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered
wreath version adopted by the Air Force in 1965;
•HRES 191 IH
Whereas IPALCO Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based energy
company, has provided the memorial, including design,
construction, and future maintenance, as a gift to the
Medal of Honor recipients and to the Nation;
Whereas the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial will be
located on the north bank of the Central Canal in White
River State Park;
Whereas the location of the memorial is particularly signifi-
cant, since it is adjacent to Military Park, which served
as a training facility during the Civil War;
Whereas nearly half of the Medals of Honor issued, 1,520,
were bestowed upon soldiers who fought in the Civil War;
Whereas the memorial will be composed of curved walls of
glass, each representing a specific United States military
engagement in which the Medal of Honor was awarded;
Whereas the glass walls will bear the names of all 3,410 indi-
viduals who have received the Medal of Honor, along with
their branch of service and the location of their heroic ac-
tion;
Whereas steps, benches, and a grassy area will provide seat-
ing for visitors, and each day at dusk the memorial’s
sound system will play the recorded stories of medal re-
cipients or of the conflicts in which they fought;
Whereas the memorial was designed by ROAMworks, an In-
dianapolis-based landscape architecture firm, the general
contractor is Hagerman Construction Corporation, and
the electrical contractor is Miller-Eads Company, Inc.;
Whereas IPALCO and the Central Indiana Building Trade
Association have agreed that all work on the memorial
will be done by labor union members; and
•HRES 191 IH
Whereas a majority of the 162 living Medal of Honor recipi-
ents will be present to participate in the May 28, 1999,
event: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
nizes and honors all recipients of the Medal of Honor for
their selfless contributions to our Nation, and commends
IPALCO Enterprises for its contributions to honor each
of these American heroes.
Æ