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A6186 1981 a pt.

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1982

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1981

U.S. SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met at 9:30 a.m., in room 122-A, Everett McKinley Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Jake Garn (chairman) presiding.

Present: Senators Garn and Huddleston.

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION

STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. ANDREW J. ADAMS, SECRETARY

ACCOMPANIED BY:

COL. FREDERICK C. BADGER, CE, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE

COL. CLAYTON L. MORAN, FA, DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION

COL. WILLIAM E. RYAN, JR., AD, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCE

SUBCOMMITTEE PROCEDURE

Senator GARN. The subcommittee will come to order.

I would like to welcome you, General Adams, and your associates, to this first hearing of this subcommittee on the fiscal year 1982 budget. Because we do have four agencies appearing before us this morning, I will ask each of the witnesses to limit their opening statements to 5 minutes.

Of course, your full statements will be included in the record.

The principal functions of the American Battle Monuments Commission are to commemorate the achievements and sacrifices of the U.S. Armed Forces through the building and maintenance of suitable memorials. The Commission designs, constructs, administers, and maintains permanent American military burial grounds in 10 foreign countries.

The Commission administers, operates, and maintains 24 permanent American military cemetery memorials and 12 separate monuments in 10 foreign countries and 4 memorials in the United States. The cemeteries, monuments, and memorials were visited by approximately 8 million people during fiscal year 1980. In addition to its other activities,

the Commission provides information and assistance on request to relatives and friends of the war dead interred in or commemorated at its facilities.

The Commission is requesting $10,507,000 and 398 positions in fiscal year 1982. This is an increase of $922,000 above fiscal year 1981 when the $797,000 supplemental appropriation for increased pay costs is included.

Please go ahead with your opening statement.

SUMMARY OF OPENING STATEMENTS

General ADAMS. Mr. Chairman, we appreciate the opportunity to appear before you in support of the American Battle Monuments Commission fiscal year 1982 appropriation request.

Because this is the first time we have appeared before you, I will tell you briefly about the Commission.

During World War I, the dead were buried in the general area where they were killed. Thus, many temporary cemeteries were established. After the war, the remains were disinterred. Next of kin were given the choice of either having the remains returned to the United States or having them buried in a permanent cemetery overseas. Approximately 40 percent were buried overseas.

After World War I, permanent American military cemeteries were constructed overseas by the War Department and the American Battle Monuments Commission was established. Its functions were, as you mentioned, to commemorate the sacrifices and achievements of American Armed Forces where they have served since April 1917; to design, construct, operate, and maintain permanent military burial grounds in foreign countries; and to control the design and construction of monuments and memorials in foreign countries by other U.S. citizens and organizations, both public and private.

In 1934, Executive Order No. 66-14 transferred all functions of the War Department relative to overseas permanent cemeteries to the American Battle Monuments Commission.

During World War II, temporary cemeteries were also established. After the war, the remains were disinterred and were either returned to the United States or buried overseas, whichever was requested by the next of kin. About 60 percent were returned to the United States, a small number were buried in private cemeteries overseas, and the others were buried in one of the 14 World War II cemeteries that were established on foreign soil.

The recovered war dead of the Korean and Vietnam wars were returned to the United States. The missing in action in these two wars are commemorated by the engraving of their names in stone at our memorial in Honolulu.

In addition to the World War I and II cemetery memorials, we have been assigned responsibility for U.S. cemeteries in Mexico City and Panama.

The Commission consists of 11 members appointed by the President who serve at his pleasure without pay.

The Commission has had four chairmen-General Pershing from 1923 until his death in 1948, General Marshall from 1949 until his

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