03/23/2010 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                 HJR 53-HONOR AND REMEMBER FLAG                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:05:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS  announced that the only  order of business                                                               
would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 53, Urging the United States                                                               
Congress to  pass H.R. 1034,  designating the Honor  and Remember                                                               
Flag as an official symbol to  recognize and honor members of the                                                               
armed forces of the United States who died in the line of duty.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:06:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAREN  SAWYER, Staff,  Representative  Carl  Gatto, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, informed  the committee that the  Honor and Remember                                                               
Flag was  conceived by  the father  of a  serviceman who  died in                                                               
Iraq in  2005.  She said  families who have lost  loved ones want                                                               
to know that their sacrifice is  not in vain, and that the nation                                                               
would  never   forget;  however,  there  is   not  a  universally                                                               
recognized symbol  that acknowledges the American  servicemen and                                                               
women  who will  never come  home.   Although  the American  flag                                                               
stands for freedom and what the  country fights for, it is not an                                                               
emblem to  honor those who have  fallen.  The Honor  and Remember                                                               
Flag  recognizes all  individuals who  died in  service from  the                                                               
time of the  birth of the nation; therefore, the  flag honors all                                                               
of those who defend the  Constitution, the American flag, and our                                                               
freedom.   By flying  the Honor and  Remember Flag,  the families                                                               
and  servicemen  will know  their  contribution  to freedom  will                                                               
never be forgotten.  Ms. Sawyer  displayed a picture of the flag.                                                               
The intention  of Honor  and Remember, Inc.  is to  personalize a                                                               
flag as a  gift to each family across the  country.  In addition,                                                               
on special  occasions wherever  an American  flag is  flown, this                                                               
flag would fly beneath it.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:10:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked whether this  flag would take the place                                                               
of the American flag over the casket.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:10:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SAWYER  said  no,  the  Honor and  Remember  Flag  would  be                                                               
presented to the family at  an appropriate occasion, and would be                                                               
flown in public areas when authorized by local law.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:10:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN noted that the  American flag placed over the                                                               
casket is given to the family.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:11:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVE CASWELL,  Member, Alaska State Chapter,  Honor and Remember,                                                               
Inc.,  thanked the  committee  for hearing  the  resolution.   He                                                               
reiterated that the American flag  stands for what we believe-the                                                               
unity of  our people, and  the diversity  of our nation-and  is a                                                               
symbol of  what servicemen  and women fight  for, rather  than an                                                               
emblem to  honor those fallen.   He described the meaning  of the                                                               
colors  and symbols  on the  American  flag and  said, "The  dead                                                               
honor the flag, the  flag does not honor the dead."   In fact, in                                                               
the 200-year history  of the U.S., there has never  been a symbol                                                               
to  recognize the  sacrifice of  the 1.6  million servicemen  and                                                               
women who  have died  in military  service to  the country.   Mr.                                                               
Caswell noted  that the  fallen are  remembered only  three times                                                               
per year, but they deserve more,  thus the need for this national                                                               
campaign.   The Honor and Remember  Flag will not take  the place                                                               
of the American  flag that is given  to the family as  a gift for                                                               
the service provided  by deceased veterans or others.   The Honor                                                               
and Remember Flag was specifically  designed and intended for the                                                               
sole purpose of helping to heal  the family members who have lost                                                               
a loved  one.  The  Honor and  Remember, Inc., organization  is a                                                               
non-profit   organization   that   operates   by   tax-deductable                                                               
donations and sponsorships.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:17:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH asked  how many states have  enjoined in this                                                               
effort.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:17:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. CASWELL said  there are Honor and Remember,  Inc. chapters in                                                               
Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, and  Alaska.  In further response                                                               
to Representative  Buch, he said  he was unsure of  a requirement                                                               
that the flags  are manufactured in the U.S.;  however, the flags                                                               
are currently manufactured in Virginia.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:19:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH  opined that to  honor Americans, there  is a                                                               
need to mandate the manufacture of flags and symbols in the U.S.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:20:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS  asked  for  the  present  status  of  the                                                               
resolution in Congress.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:21:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. CASWELL said the resolution is in a subcommittee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:21:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS expressed  his concern  that Congress  has                                                               
put this resolution in a subcommittee.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:22:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  CASWELL advised  that emails  have been  sent to  members of                                                               
Congress and  sponsors of the  resolution urging the  movement of                                                               
H.R. 1034 from subcommittee.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:23:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN moved  to report HJR 53,  26-LS1579\R, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There being  no objection,  HJR 53  was reported                                                               
from House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.