2013 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 13-034 BY SENATOR(S) Lambert, Aguilar, Balmer, Baumgardner, Brophy, Cadman, Carroll, Crowder, Giron, Grantham, Guzman, Harvey, Heath, Hill, Hodge, Hudak, Jahn, Johnston, Jones, Kefalas, Kerr, King, Lundberg, Marble, Newell, Nicholson, Renfroe, Roberts, Scheffel, Schwartz, Steadman, Tochtrop, Todd, Ulibarri, Morse; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Lebsock, Buck, Buckner, Conti, Coram, Court, DelGrosso, Dore, Duran, Everett, Exum, Fields, Fischer, Foote, Garcia, Gardner, Gerou, Ginal, Hamner, Holbert, Hullinghorst, Humphrey, Joshi, Kagan, Kraft-Tharp, Labuda, Landgraf, Lawrence, Lee, Levy, May, McCann, McLachlan, McNulty, Melton, Mitsch Bush, Moreno, Murray, Navarro, Nordberg, Pabon, Peniston, Pettersen, Primavera, Priola, Rankin, Rosenthal, Ryden, Saine, Salazar, Schafer, Scott, Singer, Sonnenberg, Stephens, Swalm, Szabo, Tyler, Vigil, Waller, Williams, Wilson, Wright, Young, Ferrandino. CONCERNING HONORING THE VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, RECOGNIZING MAY 8, 2013, JUNE 6, 2013, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013, AND DECEMBER 7, 2013, AS WORLD WAR II REMEMBRANCE DAYS IN COLORADO. WHEREAS, The men and women who grew up during the Great Depression and went on to bravely give their lives to World War II would become known as the Greatest Generation; and WHEREAS, The second World War began in earnest with the German invasion of Poland, and over the ensuing six years the war spread across the globe taking more lives than any other conflict in human history; and WHEREAS, Before the United States officially entered the war, thousands of American volunteers fought in the trenches and in the air with the Allied Forces; WHEREAS, On December 7, 1941, a day that would "live in infamy", the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and several other bases, were attacked by 360 Japanese aircraft, claiming the lives of nearly 2,400 unsuspecting American servicemen and civilians; and WHEREAS, The attack on Pearl Harbor marked the United States' entrance into the war leading to courageous young Americans to endure torturous fighting conditions, battling in muddy trenches and sandy deserts and enduring blistering summers and frigid winters; and WHEREAS, After five years of war in Europe, on June 6, 1944, D-Day, 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces sailed through mine-ridden waters and bravely stormed the fiercely fortified coasts of Normandy, France at Omaha Beach; and WHEREAS, D-Day was the greatest land, air, and sea invasion in history and stands as a timeless example of true American ingenuity and courage in fighting for, and securing the, protection of the free world and cost the lives of more than 4,000 Allied troops, and thousands more were wounded or missing; and WHEREAS, D-Day was the turning point in the war, and the following spring, the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day; and WHEREAS, American soldiers continued to fight tirelessly in the Pacific until September 2, 1945, Victory Day in Japan, the Japanese Empire unconditionally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay; and WHEREAS, Of the millions of selfless men and women who served in World War II, 433 received Medals of Honor, the United States' highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty; and WHEREAS, The heroic veterans from Colorado who received Medals of Honor for their acts of bravery during World War II include: William J. Crawford, Private, U.S. Army, 36th Infantry; Elmer E. Fryar, Private, U.S. Army, Company E, 511th Parachute Infantry, 11th Airborne Division; Floyd K. Lindstrom, Private First Class, U.S. Army, 3rd Infantry Division; Joe P. Martinez, Private, U.S. Army, Company K, 32nd Infantry, 7th Infantry Division; Robert D. Maxwell, Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army, 7th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division; Bruce McCandless, Commander, U.S. Navy, USS San Francisco; Kiyoshi K. Muranaga, Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company F, 442nd Regimental Combat Team; Donald D. Pucket, First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 98th Bombardment Group; Donald K. Ross, Machinist, U.S. Navy, USS Nevada; George T. Sakato, Private, U.S. Army, Company E, 442nd Regimental Combat Team; Kenneth N. Walker, Brigadier General, U.S. Army Air Corps, Commander of V Bomber Command; and Keith L. Ware, Lietenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division; and WHEREAS, The men and women of the Greatest Generation made sacrifices of the highest order and it is essential to pay homage to those who gave their lives on the battlefield, as well as those who supported the cause on the home front; and WHEREAS, Organizations such as Honor Flight of Southern Colorado and Rocky Mountain Honor Flight show appreciation to these brave men and women by giving Colorado Veterans the rare opportunity to visit the National World War II Memorial, located in Washington, D.C.; and WHEREAS, The Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations can hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war; and WHEREAS, It is our duty as Americans to honor those 16 million brave members of the Armed Forces who served during the war, 291,557 of whom lost their lives and 671,846 of whom suffered injuries; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-ninth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein: That we, the members of the General Assembly: (1) Honor those men and women who paid the ultimate price to preserve the freedom our nation enjoys today; (2) Remember the selflessness and heroism of the Greatest Generation from the initial attacks on United States territory, through the Allied campaigns, to the final surrenders of Germany, Italy, and Japan; and (3) Recognize May 8, 2013; June 6, 2013; September 2, 2013; and December 7, 2013, as World War II remembrance days in Colorado, recognizing Victory in Europe Day, D-Day, Victory in Japan Day, and Pearl Harbor Day, respectively. Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs; the Colorado Congressional Delegation; General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., Commander-in-Chief, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command; General William L. Shelton, Commander, Air Force Space Command; Lieutenant Michael C. Gould, Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy; Major General Paul J. LaCamera, Division Commander, 4th Infantry Division; Major General H. Michael Edwards, Adjutant General for Colorado; Colonel David Grosso, Garrison Commander, Fort Carson; Colonel Chris Crawford, Commander, 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base; Colonel James O. Ross, Commander, 50th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command, Schriever Air Force Base; Colonel Daniel A. Dant, Commander, 460th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command, Buckley Air Force Base; and the Colorado United Veterans Committee. ____________________________ ____________________________ John P. Morse Mark Ferrandino PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Cindi Markwell Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES