PRINTER'S NO. 2380
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
427
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY DeLUCA, BARRAR, READSHAW, RYAN, MURT, POLINCHOCK,
GOODMAN, JOZWIAK, O'MARA, SCHLOSSBERG, DiGIROLAMO, McCLINTON,
BIZZARRO, SONNEY, JOHNSON-HARRELL, SAPPEY, HILL-EVANS,
CALTAGIRONE, MILLARD, SCHLEGEL CULVER, LONGIETTI, McNEILL,
YOUNGBLOOD, MALONEY, MENTZER, BURGOS, PASHINSKI, KORTZ,
GALLOWAY, MULLERY, BOYLE, DeLISSIO, SANCHEZ, DERMODY,
SAINATO, KAUFER, NEILSON, KIM AND OBERLANDER,
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating August 25, 2019, as "Senator John McCain Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Senator John S. McCain III was born at Coco Solo
Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone on August 29, 1936,
to Admiral John and Roberta McCain; and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain began his service to our nation after
graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1958,
followed by postings to Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval
Air Station Corpus Christi, where he graduated from flight
school in 1960; and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain served as a naval aviator for 22
years, including during the Vietnam War, where, upon his
arrival, he volunteered for combat duty; and
WHEREAS, On July 29, 1967, Senator McCain was on board the
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U.S.S. Forrestal when a fire erupted, taking the lives of 134
sailors and injuring 161 crew members, including Senator McCain,
who, during his recovery, again volunteered for combat duty; and
WHEREAS, On October 26, 1967, Senator McCain's aircraft took
fire during a combat mission from North Vietnamese forces near
the city of Hanoi, forcing Senator McCain to eject from his
aircraft and land in a nearby lake, resulting in Senator McCain
breaking both his arms and his leg; and
WHEREAS, After ejecting from his aircraft and sustaining
those serious injuries, Senator McCain was taken prisoner by
North Vietnamese forces and denied medical treatment and
subjected to torture; and
WHEREAS, During his time as a prisoner of war, Senator McCain
was held at the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton,
where he was placed into solitary confinement for two years; and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain's love for the United States only
grew during his imprisonment, as he stated:
In prison, I fell in love with my country. I had loved
her before then, but like most young people, my affection
was little more than a simple appreciation for the
comforts and privileges most Americans enjoyed and took
for granted. It wasn't until I had lost America for a
time that I realized how much I loved her;
and
WHEREAS, Upon his release and recovery, Senator McCain became
the Commanding Officer of a flight training squadron at Naval
Air Station Cecil Field, and, during this time, the squadron was
awarded its first Meritorious Unit Commendation and trained the
first woman to fly a light attack aircraft; and
WHEREAS, After relinquishing his command, Senator McCain
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continued his service as a naval liaison to the United States
Senate, maintaining his trademark passion, highlighted by his
relentless fight against reducing the size of aircraft carriers,
fearing such changes would jeopardize the nation's naval
capabilities; and
WHEREAS, For his service in the Navy, Senator McCain was
awarded the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with combat "V" and
one Gold Star device, the Bronze Star with combat "V" and two
Gold Star devices, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple
Heart with one Gold Star device during his distinguished
military career; and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain's dedication to the United States led
him to continue his government service, as he was elected to the
United States House of Representatives in 1982 and the United
States Senate in 1986; and
WHEREAS, In a career that spanned more than three decades,
Senator McCain strongly supported a free press, praised
bipartisan efforts and fought for the security of the United
States; and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain's lifelong mission of resisting
repressive regimes gave a voice and hope to millions of
oppressed people around the world, as evinced by his 47 visits
to Iraq and Afghanistan, and over 20 trips to Vietnam where he
met his former captors in the Hanoi Hilton; and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain served as an unofficial ambassador of
the United States wherever he traveled, epitomizing American
values to the world; and
WHEREAS, In keeping with Senator McCain's outlook, the
American people must never surrender or hide from difficult
tasks, and instead work to ensure that the United States remains
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a shining city on a hill that provides hope to the oppressed;
and
WHEREAS, On August 25, 2018, at 81 years of age, Senator John
S. McCain III passed away, leaving behind his wife, Cindy, his
seven children, his mother, Roberta, and a legacy of passionate
service to the United States and advocacy for a strong American
presence around the world; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate August
25, 2019, as "Senator John McCain Day" in Pennsylvania and
remember the courage, honor, patriotism and citizenship
exemplified by Senator John McCain and; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the flag of the United States and of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania be flown at half-mast on August 25,
2019, to honor the life of Senator John McCain.
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