PRINTER'S NO. 2868
No. 511 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY RAPP, FAIRCHILD, GRUCELA, DiGIROLAMO, CAUSER,
BARRAR, BEAR, BEYER, BRENNAN, CLYMER, DONATUCCI, GEIST,
GEORGE, HERSHEY, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, KORTZ, MAJOR, MANTZ,
MICOZZIE, MILLARD, R. MILLER, MOUL, MOYER, MUSTIO, NAILOR,
O'NEILL, PAYNE, PICKETT, RAMALEY, READSHAW, SAYLOR, SIPTROTH,
SONNEY, STERN, R. STEVENSON, J. TAYLOR, TRUE AND WATSON,
NOVEMBER 19, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
NOVEMBER 19, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing December 2, 2007, as "The Order of the Silver Rose
2 Day" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant, is a weapon of
4 war deployed by the United States Armed Forces against the enemy
5 during the Vietnam Conflict; and
6 WHEREAS, More than 22 million gallons of the chemical were
7 sprayed by hand, aircraft and by the South Vietnamese during the
8 war to defoliate areas of the jungle and to destroy crops; and
9 WHEREAS, Thousands of our own servicemen and women have
10 become sick or have died since the end of the war as a result of
11 exposure to Agent Orange dioxins; and
12 WHEREAS, Currently, thousands of Americans who served in
13 Vietnam suffer from the effects of exposure to Agent Orange,
14 which range from cancer to memory loss to Type II diabetes; and
15 WHEREAS, The Order of the Silver Rose strives to educate
1 Vietnam veterans of the many maladies associated with exposure
2 to Agent Orange and to inform them that a simple yearly physical
3 with CT scan and X-ray could easily save their lives by early
4 detection and treatment of diseases resulting from exposure to
5 Agent Orange; and
6 WHEREAS, These heroes have been sickened or, in many cases,
7 have given their lives for the freedom of United States citizens
8 and deserve recognition; and
9 WHEREAS, American soldiers exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam
10 have received no medals or recognition for the injuries
11 sustained from exposure to the chemical; and
12 WHEREAS, The Order of the Purple Heart for Military Merit,
13 commonly called the Purple Heart, is awarded to members of the
14 armed forces of the United States who have been wounded or
15 killed in battle; and
16 WHEREAS, The criteria for receiving the Purple Heart includes
17 injury caused by chemical, biological or nuclear agents released
18 by the enemy, and the medal can be awarded if the injury is the
19 result of "friendly fire," designed to inflict damage or destroy
20 enemy troops or equipment; and
21 WHEREAS, American soldiers suffering from the effects of
22 exposure to Agent Orange from the Southeast Asia Theater of
23 Operations should receive the Purple Heart in recognition of
24 injuries sustained while standing in harm's way for their
25 country; and
26 WHEREAS, The Order of the Silver Rose, an informal society,
27 exists for the exclusive purpose of recognizing those United
28 States military personnel exposed to and suffering from the
29 effects of Agent Orange as being deserving of the Purple Heart;
30 and
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1 WHEREAS, The fact that the United States Government,
2 especially the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
3 provides medical treatment and financial compensation to Vietnam
4 veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange clearly demonstrates
5 that it is an injury deserving of recognition; therefore be it
6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
7 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognize the courage, heroism and
8 contributions of American service personnel found to have been
9 exposed to Agent Orange dioxins and to chemical and biological
10 exposures; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
12 President of the United States to grant the Order of the Purple
13 Heart to American soldiers who were injured from their exposure
14 to Agent Orange during the Vietnam Conflict; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
16 December 2, 2007, as "Order of the Silver Rose Day" in
17 Pennsylvania; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
19 Gary J. Chenett, who serves with distinction as the National
20 Director of the Order of the Silver Rose; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
22 the President of the United States.
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