04/28/1995 03:10 PM House STA

 SB 150 - DUTCH HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY                                       
                                                                               
 Number 026                                                                    
                                                                               
 SHERMAN ERNOUF, Administrative Assistant to Senator Kelly, reported           
 Senator Kelly had introduced this bill to commemorate events at               
 Dutch Harbor during World War II.  These events are important to              
 Alaska's citizens, though they have gone unrecognized.  The                   
 recapture of the islands there constitute the only land battles               
 fought on North American soil during World War II.  This bill                 
 honors those persons who gave their lives at Dutch Harbor in                  
 recapturing Attu and Kiska from the Japanese, and further it honors           
 all Native Aleuts who were interned and those who were captured and           
 sent to Japan during the War.  SB 150 would proclaim June 3 of                
 every year as Dutch Harbor Day to honor these patriots.                       
                                                                               
 Number 179                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES remarked she remembered the conflict in Alaska during             
 World War II, though many people were not aware of it because it              
 was kept very quiet at the time.  When her husband was in the Navy,           
 he spent time at Dutch Harbor, Amchitka, and Adak.  She is very               
 supportive of this bill.                                                      
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE WILLIS said he agreed with Chair James' comments.              
 Representative Ogan said "ditto," and so did Representatives                  
 Robinson and Ivan.                                                            
                                                                               
 Number 107                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN said seeing that it's sunny and warm outside,             
 and this is a really fine bill, he would make a motion to move SB
 from committee with individual recommendations and zero fiscal            
 note.  There were no objections, so the bill was moved.