House Resolution 29 - Introduced PAG LIN HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. BY STANERSON and KEARNS 1 1 A Resolution expressing gratitude to members of the 1 2 49th Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry for their 1 3 efforts to honor Iowans who served in the American 1 4 Civil War. 1 5 WHEREAS, members of the Sons of Union Veterans 1 6 of the Civil War formed the 49th Iowa Veteran 1 7 Volunteer Infantry (49th Iowa) in June 2009, for the 1 8 express purpose of establishing a highly trained and 1 9 historically accurate uniformed ceremonial honor 1 10 guard of military historians from across the state of 1 11 Iowa; and 1 12 WHEREAS, the 49th Iowa's sworn missions include 1 13 the education of the public at large about the role 1 14 played by Iowans in the American Civil War (Civil War) 1 15 and the preservation and restoration of Iowa's aging 1 16 Civil War monuments across this state and on distant 1 17 battlefields; and 1 18 WHEREAS, the National Commander of the Sons of 1 19 Veterans Reserve awarded the 49th Iowa the National 1 20 Meritorious Unit Citation for excellence in all 1 21 of their undertakings in the unit's first year 1 22 of existence as a unit of the Sons of Veterans 1 23 Reserve; and 1 24 WHEREAS, the 49th Iowa was further honored by Iowa 1 25 Governors Chet Culver and Terry Branstad by being 1 26 named by each governor as "The Governor's Own Iowa 1 27 Rifles"; and 1 28 WHEREAS, the 49th Iowa undertook to support 2 1 historic preservation efforts of entities like the Iowa 2 2 State Historical Society by providing thousands of 2 3 hours of volunteer services to the Iowa Battle Flags 2 4 Project; and 2 5 WHEREAS, members of the 49th Iowa, immediately 2 6 upon learning of the deplorably decrepit state of 2 7 the largest Iowa monument at the Vicksburg National 2 8 Military Park, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, set about 2 9 working with members of the Iowa General Assembly in 2 10 the 2013 Legislative Session to provide bipartisan 2 11 funding to fully restore the Iowa State Memorial at the 2 12 military park, as a part of House File 2465 (2013); and 2 13 WHEREAS, the 49th Iowa has consistently and 2 14 repeatedly supported veterans of this state and 2 15 nation by participating in a wide array of ceremonies 2 16 throughout the State of Iowa and accompanied 2 17 Iowa's governor as the official honor guard for the 2 18 rededication of the Iowa State Memorial at Vicksburg 2 19 National Military Park; and 2 20 WHEREAS, the 49th Iowa has replaced dozens of 2 21 gravestones on veterans' graves throughout the Midwest 2 22 and has performed uniformed full military honors 2 23 ceremonies in strict compliance with the military 2 24 regulations of the United States for veterans who had 2 25 in some cases lain in unmarked and unhonored graves for 2 26 over 100 years; and 2 27 WHEREAS, the 49th Iowa, after appearing at the 2 28 annual Lincoln's Tomb Observances in Springfield, 2 29 Illinois, in April of every year since 2009, was 2 30 afforded, in 2013, the singular honor of being 3 1 designated as the Tomb Guard at Lincoln's Tomb; NOW 3 2 THEREFORE, 3 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That 3 4 the House of Representatives expresses its sincere 3 5 gratitude to members of the 49th Iowa Veteran Volunteer 3 6 Infantry for their efforts to honor Iowans who served 3 7 in the American Civil War. LSB 2636YH (3) 86 aw/rj