WHEREAS, the sacrifices of countless numbers of veterans who, served valiantly in the Vietnam War, and died prematurely from war-related non-combat causes, such as Agent Orange induced traumas, will never receive formal recognition on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, A non-profit organization known as the Vietnam War In Memory Memorial, Inc., based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is striving to gain approval from Congress to place adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ('The Wall") a 3' X 3' memorial plaque honoring collectively those veterans who have died of post-war related causes; and
WHEREAS, Realizing that it would be impractical, if not impossible, to name all of the post-war casualties and not desiring to detract in any way from the solemn meaning of "The Wall," The Vietnam War In Memory Memorial, Inc., proposes a memorial plaque that will be generic in nature and flush to the ground but, nonetheless, symbolic of the sacrifices these veterans made for their country; and
WHEREAS, Inasmuch as The American Legion led the fight and was instrumental in awakening the public, the Veterans Administration and the U.S. Government to the devastating effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam veterans, it is only fitting and appropriate that we support this worthwhile endeavor, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, by the Department of Virginia assembled, in its Eighty-first Annual Convention, conducted July 15-18, 1999, that the said Department does endorse the efforts of The Vietnam War in Memory organization to place a plaque adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in memory of Vietnam veterans who have died of war-related, non-combat causes and the Department of Virginia supports this worthwhile commemorative effort.
Disposition: Approved