[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 731 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 731

    To recognize the centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 21, 2021

 Mr. Palazzo (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Rogers of 
 Alabama, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Waltz, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. Posey, Mr. Ryan, 
 Mr. Cloud, Mr. Hudson, Mrs. Hartzler, Mrs. Cammack, Mr. Fleischmann, 
     Mr. Stewart, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. Kelly of 
    Pennsylvania, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Steube, Mr. Kelly of 
  Mississippi, Mr. Hagedorn, Mr. Barr, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Wittman, Mrs. 
 Greene of Georgia, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Allen, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. 
Huizenga, Mr. Vela, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Turner, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Johnson of 
 Louisiana, Mr. C. Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. Banks, Mr. Dunn, Mr. 
  Palmer, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Duncan, Mr. McKinley, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. 
    Carter of Georgia, Mr. Aderholt, Ms. Van Duyne, Mr. Owens, Mr. 
   Bilirakis, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Babin, Ms. 
     Granger, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Bentz, Mr. 
     Arrington, Mr. Norman, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Michael F. Doyle of 
 Pennsylvania, Mr. Crist, Mr. Bost, Mr. Guest, Mrs. Boebert, Mr. Mast, 
Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Womack, Mr. Green of Tennessee, Mr. Comer, Mr. 
  Crawford, Mr. Amodei, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. Taylor, Mr. 
 Perry, Mr. Williams of Texas, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Newhouse, 
   Mr. Pence, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Carl, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. 
 Rouzer, Mr. Young, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Webster of Florida, 
Mr. Carter of Texas, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, 
Mr. Estes, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Massie, Mrs. Bice of Oklahoma, 
   Mr. Graves of Louisiana, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Emmer, Mr. Zeldin, Mrs. 
 Spartz, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania, Ms. 
 Tenney, Mr. Ruppersberger, and Mr. Wenstrup) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    To recognize the centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Whereas, on October 24, 1921, the body of one unidentified member of the Armed 
        Forces who died during World War I was selected as the United States 
        Unknown Soldier;
Whereas, on November 11, 1921, the Unknown Soldier from World War I was placed 
        on a horse-drawn caisson and carried in a procession through the 
        District of Columbia and across the Potomac River;
Whereas a state funeral ceremony was held that day at Arlington National 
        Cemetery's new Memorial Amphitheater, and the Unknown Soldier was 
        interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;
Whereas, in March 1926, soldiers from nearby forts were first assigned to guard 
        the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where guards presented only during 
        visiting hours and discouraged visitors from disrespecting the tomb, and 
        in 1937, the guards began a continuous presence, standing watch over the 
        tomb at all times;
Whereas the Nation observed two minutes of silence during the ceremony for the 
        burial of the World War I Unknown, and President Warren G. Harding spoke 
        at the ceremony and placed the Medal of Honor, the Nation's highest 
        military decoration, on the casket;
Whereas, following World War II, many Americans supported interring and honoring 
        an Unknown from that war; however, the start of the Korean war in 1950 
        delayed those plans;
Whereas, on May 30, 1958, one unidentified member of the Armed Forces who died 
        during World War II and one from the Korean war were interred in crypts 
        at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;
Whereas, on November 11, 1978, President Jimmy Carter dedicated a bronze plaque 
        at Memorial Amphitheater to honor members of the Armed Forces who served 
        in the Vietnam War;
Whereas, on May 28, 1984, an unidentified member of the Armed Forces who died 
        during the Vietnam War was interred in a crypt at the Tomb of the 
        Unknown Soldier;
Whereas the Vietnam Unknown was disinterred from the tomb in 1998, identified as 
        United States Air Force 1st. Lt. Michael J. Blassie, and reburied in 
        Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, with the empty crypt subsequently 
        capped with an engraved cover to honor all missing members of the Armed 
        Forces from the Vietnam War;
Whereas, since the creation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, millions of 
        visitors have come to Arlington National Cemetery to mourn and pay their 
        respects to the Unknown Soldier and the military personnel he 
        represents; and
Whereas 100 years after the burial of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, the 
        Tomb of the Unknown Soldier continues to be a powerful symbol of service 
        and sacrifice, mourning, and memory: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the ultimate sacrifice of the Unknown 
        Soldiers interred at Arlington Cemetery;
            (2) expresses gratitude and appreciation of all the members 
        of the Armed Forces who have fought in the Nation's wars and 
        served during peacetime; and
            (3) commends all members of the 3d Infantry Regiment, and 
        those specifically who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24 
        hours a day, 365 days a year.
                                 <all>