"We slept safe in our beds at night because our vigilant forces stood ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
Modeled after a quote from George Orwell
"And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades."
Robert M. Gates, 1996
Report from Frank M. Tims, Ph.D.
Legislative Director
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
OCTOBER 17, 2007
In the 110th Congress, a Cold War Medal in the National Defense Authorization Act is again up for passage.
Background:
Several versions of a Cold War Medal have been introduced sine 1997, when the Senate passed a National Defense Authorization Act for 1998 containing such a medal. The Medal did not survive the House-Senate Conference on the final authorization for 1998.
In 1998, the Secretary of Defense authorized a certificate of recognition for all who served in the US Government (military or civilian). The certificate program is scheduled to run for 10 years, ending in 2008.
Currently:
The House-Senate Conference to reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2008 is going on-- as this report is being written. The House version (S.1585, SEC 556) calls for a Cold War Victory Medal - there is no such provision in the bill passed by the Senate.
Because the medal is in the bill passed by the House, it must be considered in the Conference on the NDAA for 2008.
URGENT:
Please contact your senators immediately and ask them to keep the Cold War Victory Medal in the final NDAA. Call, fax, and write your senators - those in the conference include:
Akaka (HI), Bayh (IN), Byrd (WV), Chambliss (GA), Clinton (NY), Collins (ME), Corker (TN), Cornyn (TX), Dole (NC), Graham (SC), Inhofe (OK), Levin (MI), Lieberman (CT), Kennedy (MA), Martinez (FL), McCain (AZ), McCaskill (MO), Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Reed (RI), Sessions (AL), Thune (SD), Warner (VA), and Webb (VA).
www.senate.gov
E-mail your senators today.
Call and fax them too!!!
Time is short!
Resolutions and pledges of support:
Resolutions supporting a Cold War Medal have been passed by the American Legion, AMVETS, Europe Defense Veterans of America, Korea Defense Veterans of America, Korean War Veterans Association, Military Officers Association of America, Reserve Officers Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Resolutions have been passed by other Veterans organizations.
Our next task will be to protect it from being stripped out or weakened in the House-Senate Conference that decides the final bill to be reported out. I stay in touch with Senator Clinton's office, as well as other Congressional offices. Senator Clinton mentioned the Cold War Medal in her speech at VFW. That puts her on record as being strongly for it, and we need to support advocacy for an amendment in the Senate.
So we cannot relax our vigilance, but be glad we have support in the Senate. Let's increase that support. Leaders of the conference are Senator Levin (MI), Senator McCain (AZ), Senator Warner (VA), Representative Ike Skelton (MO), and Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA). We need to get their support to include the Cold War Medal included in this year's NDAA.
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
Let's get ready for battle. This will be our year, but only if we work for it.
Legislative Director
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
OCTOBER 17, 2007
In the 110th Congress, a Cold War Medal in the National Defense Authorization Act is again up for passage.
Background:
Several versions of a Cold War Medal have been introduced sine 1997, when the Senate passed a National Defense Authorization Act for 1998 containing such a medal. The Medal did not survive the House-Senate Conference on the final authorization for 1998.
In 1998, the Secretary of Defense authorized a certificate of recognition for all who served in the US Government (military or civilian). The certificate program is scheduled to run for 10 years, ending in 2008.
Currently:
The House-Senate Conference to reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2008 is going on-- as this report is being written. The House version (S.1585, SEC 556) calls for a Cold War Victory Medal - there is no such provision in the bill passed by the Senate.
Because the medal is in the bill passed by the House, it must be considered in the Conference on the NDAA for 2008.
URGENT:
Please contact your senators immediately and ask them to keep the Cold War Victory Medal in the final NDAA. Call, fax, and write your senators - those in the conference include:
Akaka (HI), Bayh (IN), Byrd (WV), Chambliss (GA), Clinton (NY), Collins (ME), Corker (TN), Cornyn (TX), Dole (NC), Graham (SC), Inhofe (OK), Levin (MI), Lieberman (CT), Kennedy (MA), Martinez (FL), McCain (AZ), McCaskill (MO), Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Reed (RI), Sessions (AL), Thune (SD), Warner (VA), and Webb (VA).
www.senate.gov
E-mail your senators today.
Call and fax them too!!!
Time is short!
Resolutions and pledges of support:
Resolutions supporting a Cold War Medal have been passed by the American Legion, AMVETS, Europe Defense Veterans of America, Korea Defense Veterans of America, Korean War Veterans Association, Military Officers Association of America, Reserve Officers Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Resolutions have been passed by other Veterans organizations.
Our next task will be to protect it from being stripped out or weakened in the House-Senate Conference that decides the final bill to be reported out. I stay in touch with Senator Clinton's office, as well as other Congressional offices. Senator Clinton mentioned the Cold War Medal in her speech at VFW. That puts her on record as being strongly for it, and we need to support advocacy for an amendment in the Senate.
So we cannot relax our vigilance, but be glad we have support in the Senate. Let's increase that support. Leaders of the conference are Senator Levin (MI), Senator McCain (AZ), Senator Warner (VA), Representative Ike Skelton (MO), and Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA). We need to get their support to include the Cold War Medal included in this year's NDAA.
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
Let's get ready for battle. This will be our year, but only if we work for it.
|
||||||
