Legislature(2005 - 2006)BELTZ 211
05/05/2005 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB277 | |
| HB94 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 94 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 277 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 277-GAMBLE-SPERL UAS JOINT USE FACILITY
CHAIR THERRIAULT announced HB 277 to be up for consideration.
4:15:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BETH KERTTULLA, sponsor, introduced Don Sperl's
family.
SENATOR KIM ELTON, Co-Sponsor, asked the committee to understand
that Charles Gamble Jr.'s parents weren't able to attend what,
for them, would be a very emotional meeting due to their
advanced age and frail health. He explained that Charles and Don
both grew up in Juneau and were sent to Vietnam after basic
training.
Charles attained the rank of specialist fourth class and he died
October 28, 1969 as a result of a helicopter crash in Vietnam.
Don attained the rank of corporal and he died May 8, 1968 from
wounds received in the line of duty.
He explained that the facility they propose to name after these
men is a joint use facility that will be shared by the National
Guard and the University of Alaska Southeast. The guard will use
part of the facility as an armory and the university will use
part as a student recreation center. This unusual and unique
facility was built on a shared basis with State of Alaska,
University of Alaska and federal dollars. It is located on the
Juneau campus and will be completed in July '05.
Three years ago he began working with the guard and the
university to name this facility after Don Sperl and Charles
Gamble Jr. During that time he found that the different naming
procedures aren't complimentary. Although the guard agreed to
put the request before the soon-to-be-appointed naming
committee, that committee has yet to be appointed. Now he has
been told that the guard is waiting until the end of the Iraq
War before proceeding.
He related the experience of visiting the Vietnam Memorial and
seeing Charles Gamble Jr. and Don Sperl's names listed there. He
said that is the only memorial he's seen that has those two
names on it and it's thousands of miles from Juneau. It's
entirely appropriate that their names be attached to something
in Juneau "where they grew up and developed their notion of
service to neighborhood, to community, to region, to state, and
to the nation."
In conclusion he said he could think of no better facility to
carry the names of these two heroes. It will be used by
university students, members of the community and National Guard
members who have dedicated their lives to serving the United
States in uniform. "It's extremely important to be reminded that
in the past there are people who took the notion of service
extremely seriously and because they did and because they
adopted and used the values that grew in this community, they
lost their lives."
He encouraged the committee to pass the bill so that these men
could be honored and so that people in the community could learn
from the sacrifice that they made.
4:22:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BILL THOMAS, JR., Co-Sponsor, took the
opportunity to point out how timely the bill is because Vietnam
Veteran's recognition week is from May 1 to May 7. He told of
knowing Don Sperl through high school basketball and said that
those who are familiar with local basketball know that it
establishes a bond for life.
In 1968 he was on a stopover in Japan on the way to Vietnam when
he was surprised and pleased to meet up with Don. He'd known him
for several years, but he didn't know that Don was an Army medic
who was also headed to Vietnam. Sometime after that he read that
Don Sperl had died.
He said he supports the bill; he knows the families; and he is
proud to ask that the men's names be put on the building. He
added that in the sad event that someone from Juneau dies in the
Iraq War that name could be added at a later time.
4:25:38 PM
CHAIR THERRIAULT asked Representative Kerttula if she had
additional comments.
REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA said she had neglected to say that the
university supports putting the names on the building.
SENATOR ELTON read a portion of the letter from Major General
Phil Oates who was Adjutant General of the Army National Guard
at the time.
A nominating committee will be formed in the near
future and I will forward your request for
consideration. Thank you for your input and we look
forward to supporting the people of Juneau.
He explained that he read that to demonstrate that the attitude
at the time was that it is appropriate to recognize Juneau
service men that died in the line of duty. He said he'd like to
think that that would be the net effect with the passage of the
bill.
CHAIR THERRIAULT acknowledged he hadn't followed the issue and
until just before the hearing he hadn't been aware of any
concern. He noted the cautionary statements from the military
and asked for comment.
REPRESENTATNVE THOMAS responded that he too had read the email
and he thinks it is inappropriate to wait to name a building
until someone else has died. We should honor those who have
already died and not look forward to someone else dying, he
said.
SENATOR ELTON added that if something tragic happens to another
Juneau family it would be appropriate to recognize that. When he
testified before the House committee he made a commitment. If
someone else from Juneau were to die in the line of duty, he
would be the first person to work with the family. If they
request that their son's or daughter's name be added to the
building then he would work toward that end. If they request a
different memorial then he would work for that. He emphasized
that it's taken 35 years to recognize these two young men who
died in the Vietnam War and he wasn't going to let that happen
to another Juneau family.
He noted the resolution from the City and Borough of Juneau
Assembly in support of naming the building as proposed.
4:31:05 PM
SENATOR CHARLIE HUGGINS outlined military naming procedures and
noted that the facility is a regional facility. He recommended
that the committee defer action to hear from Major General
Campbell who would be in the building the following day.
4:35:35 PM
BONNIE LINDEGAARD, Juneau, stated that she was representing the
class of 1965 and the family of Donald Sperl in support of HB
277. She read a supporting letter from a classmate and outlined
Mr. Sperl's many and varied accomplishments.
4:38:57 PM
CARLOS CADIENTE, Auke Bay, described Charles Campbell and Don
Sperl as friends, classmates, athletes and outstanding young
men. It would be a great tribute to Don and Charles, who made
the ultimate sacrifice, to name the building in their honor, he
said. It would also be a belated thank you to all the Alaskans
who served in Vietnam.
4:40:56 PM
CHAIR THERRIAULT said he would like to accommodate General
Campbell and hold the bill until the following day. He then
asked if Marty Whitney was Charles Gamble's sister.
SENATOR ELTON said that's correct. He said he understood Senator
Huggins' recommendation and asked that General Campbell meet
with members of the family.
CHAIR THERRIAULT announced he would set HB 277 aside until the
following day.
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