Memorial

[phuloi]

August 27, 2003 | Print | Send


Nearly 59 years after the end of World War II, the National World War II Memorial - the first national memorial dedicated to all who served during World War II - will be dedicated in Washington over Memorial Day Weekend 2004.

Last Sunday, this columnist paid a visit to the National Mall construction site - between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial - and was surprised to find much of the memorial already taking shape.

Meanwhile, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) has introduced legislation aimed at honoring American POWs from "the Greatest Generation."

"Over two years ago, two of my constituents who were POWs during World War II in the Pacific Theater approached me about awards they felt they should have received," he said. "The Japanese had imprisoned each of the men, one of whom was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. These men were beaten, tortured and starved - one weighed 70 pounds when he was liberated."

Both men were awarded the Prisoner of War Medal, yet neither received the Purple Heart. Current law for POWs held prior to 1962 requires documentation from the camps or detailed statements from former POW commanding officers to be eligible for the medal, records that are hard to come by given that World War II and Korean war vets are dying by the thousands every week.

The bill would recognize hardships borne by World War II and Korean war POWs by providing additional assistance to those who would have earned the award if they had today's record keeping. It would also require the Pentagon to provide historical information from the period.