Federal Charter is Passed by the Congress WITHOUT OBJECTION

Camp Beauregard
Headquarters, KWVA
June 17, 2008, 1700hrs, CDT

My Friends, Members and Supporters of Veterans of Korea,

It is a pleasure to inform you that the Senate and House Bills to award a Federal Charter to the Korea War Veterans Association was passed by The Congress at 1750hrs Eastern Time, today June 17, 2008.

I want to personally cite those whom I have appointed to officially work in this Administration for over four years to accomplish this task, beginning with Colonel Charley Price who actually wrote the legislation that was passed today.

Colonel Price was also the first Legislative Chairman of this Administration. He has been followed by Director Robert Banker, and Mr. Ed Buckman. Director Banker has been the one stalwart who has worked on this legislative effort since 2003 (in the previous Administration) through to passage today. Director Banker was in the gallery today at the historic moment and will represent the KWVA and myself at the signing should we be invited.

Other members who contributed mightily to this legislative effort through the my years as President were Director Jeff Brodeur, Marty O’Brien, Roy J Burkhart (and his wife), Bill Hutton, and Don Duffy.

Thank you to our Chapter Members and many others who have written thousands of letters and initiated hundreds, if not thousands, of telephone calls over the years supporting our efforts.

Another official statement will be forthcoming in which I thank The Congress. For now this moment is yours, loyal members and supporters. Thank you.

This has been a long-time coming, as all of the speakers acknowledged in their remarks today. I want to apologize to the other 3.5 million veterans of Korea who have served and are still serving in Korea. They were not mentioned in the House/Senate comments televised today.

If the Korea War has been the Forgotten War as noted by the Congressional speakers today, the fact that the war is not over is even less widely realized. Our fellow veterans, 1954-2008 have always been invited to be members of the KWVA thanks to the foresight and patriot dream of Bill Norris, our Founder, and his original group. This legislation is their legacy from the veterans of 1950-1954. Guard it and expand it.

I want to thank General BB Bell, Commander in Chief in Korea, and now his successor, General Walter L Sharp, who have taken every measure to provide for our 35,000 American warriors still manning the ramparts with our Korean allies.

God Bless Korea, God Bless America, and God Bless the mission and purposes of our organization, the Korean War Veterans Association.

National President, KWVA/US
Chairman of the Board

THIS WE'LL DEFEND

(Posted 6/17/08 1700)