Murkowski Reintroduces Bill to Honor Recent Veterans of Second Division
Legislation Authorizes Small, but Necessary, Modification to Current Memorial
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, reintroduced S. 907, the Second Division Memorial Modification Act, to authorize the modification of the existing Second Division Memorial in Washington, D.C. The bill would allow the Second Indianhead Division Association Scholarship and Memorials Foundation (Foundation) to add commemorative elements or engravings to the existing memorial to honor the members of the Second Division who have given their lives in service to the United States but have yet to be recognized.
“I am proud to reintroduce this bill to honor the brave men and women of the Second Infantry Division,” Murkowski said. “While current law prohibits the modification of memorials, I have worked with the Foundation and the Park Service to ensure that all who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation can be properly honored.”
The Second Division Memorial was originally dedicated in 1936, with additions made in 1962 to honor the soldiers who were lost in World War II and the Korean War. Now, the Foundation, along with other veterans organizations, including the VFW, is working to modify this memorial to honor those who have fallen in service on the DMZ, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan.
The Second Infantry Division is headquartered out of Camp Humphreys, South Korea and also has a base in Fort Lewis, Washington. When under reorganization, the Second Division was temporarily based at Fort Richardson, Alaska from August 1956 through November 1957. This year will mark the Division’s 100th year of active service to our nation.
Murkowski is chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, introduced similar legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year. S. 907 does not allow for the use of federal dollars to modify or augment the memorial.
