[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 822 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 822
Honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Max Cleland.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 23, 2021
Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. David
Scott of Georgia, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. McBath, Ms. Bourdeaux,
Mr. Clyde, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Allen, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. Austin
Scott of Georgia, and Mr. Ferguson) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Max Cleland.
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born August 24, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia,
the child of Juanita Kesler Cleland and Joseph Hughie Cleland, a World
War II veteran, and grew up in Lithonia, Georgia;
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland graduated from Stetson University in Florida in
1964, and received his Master's Degree in history from Emory University
in Atlanta, Georgia;
Whereas, following his graduation from Stetson University, Joseph Maxwell
Cleland received a Second Lieutenant's Commission in the Army through
its Reserve Officers' Training Corps program;
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for duty in the Vietnam War in 1967,
serving with the 1st Cavalry Division;
Whereas, on April 8, 1968, during combat at the mountain base at Khe Sanh,
Joseph Maxwell Cleland was gravely injured by the blast of a grenade,
eventually losing both his legs and right arm;
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious
service and the Silver Star for gallantry in action;
Whereas, in 1970, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the Georgia Senate as
the youngest member and the only Vietnam veteran, where he served until
1975;
Whereas, as a Georgia State Senator, Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored and
advanced legislation to ensure access to public facilities in Georgia
for elderly and handicapped individuals;
Whereas, in 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began serving as a staffer on the
Committee on Veterans Affairs of the Senate;
Whereas, in 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by President Jimmy Carter
to lead the Veterans Administration;
Whereas he was the youngest Administrator of the Veterans Administration ever
and the first Vietnam veteran to head the agency;
Whereas he served as a champion for veterans and led the Veterans Administration
to recognize, and begin to treat, post-traumatic stress disorder in
veterans suffering the invisible wounds of war;
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 1982 as Georgia's Secretary of
State, the youngest individual to hold the office, and served in that
position for 14 years;
Whereas, in 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the United States Senate
representing Georgia;
Whereas, as a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Joseph Maxwell Cleland
advocated for Georgia's military bases, servicemembers, and veterans,
including by championing key personnel issues, playing a critical role
in the effort to allow servicemembers to pass their GI Bill education
benefits to their children, and establishing a new veterans cemetery in
Canton, Georgia;
Whereas, in 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed to the 9/11 Commission;
Whereas, in 2003, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by President George W.
Bush to the Board of Directors for the Export-Import Bank of the United
States, where he served until 2007;
Whereas, in 2009, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by President Barack Obama
as Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission overseeing
United States military cemeteries and monuments overseas, where he
served until 2017;
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored 3 books: Strong at the Broken Places,
Going for the Max: 12 Principles for Living Life to the Fullest, and
Heart of a Patriot;
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous honors and awards over the
course of his long and distinguished career;
Whereas Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, veteran, and lifelong civil
servant who proudly served Georgia, the United States, and all veterans
and servicemembers of the United States; and
Whereas, on November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Joseph Maxwell Cleland died,
leaving behind a legacy of service, sacrifice, and joy: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the House of Representatives--
(A) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret
the announcement of the death of Joseph Maxwell
Cleland;
(B) honors the life and legacy of the late Senator
Joseph Maxwell Cleland for his--
(i) courage and sacrifice in combat in the
Vietnam War;
(ii) unwavering dedication to Georgia as a
State Senator, Secretary of State, and Senator;
and
(iii) honorable service to the United
States and veterans of the United States
through his lifetime of public service and
tenure as Administrator of the Veterans
Administration;
(C) proclaims that Joseph Maxwell Cleland--
(i) represented the best of Georgia's
commitment to the United States; and
(ii) served continually for more than 50
years with an unwavering commitment to public
service; and
(D) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the
House of Representatives--
(i) communicate this resolution to the
Senate; and
(ii) transmit an enrolled copy of this
resolution to the family of Joseph Maxwell
Cleland; and
(2) when the House adjourns today, it stand adjourned as a
further mark of respect to the memory of Joseph Maxwell
Cleland.
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