Proposed 2008 DPA Resolutions

DEPARTMENT RESOLUTION 01

SUPPORT CLARK CEMETERY AT FORMER CLARK AIR BASE IN

THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

WHEREAS, the Clark Air Base Cemetery was founded in 1947 and contains the remains of U.S. Veterans of all U.S. Services, Philippine Scouts, U.S. citizens and their dependents, as well as Philippine citizens and other foreigners.  The cemetery provides 12,000 gravesites in an area encompassing about 20 acres.  With over 8,500 interned at Clark Cemetery of which about 2,100 are U.S. Veterans, and Philippine Scouts, and

WHEREAS, the Clark Cemetery was budgeted for and maintained by the U.S. Air Force from 1947 to 1991, when the Philippines Air Force and Clark Development Corporation (hereafter, CDC) took over management of the cemetery, and

WHEREAS, in 1994 VFW Post 2485 (hereafter, Post) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (hereafter, MOA) with CDC that gave the Post permission to maintain Clark Cemetery and open it to departed U.S. Veterans, including Philippine Scouts.  In 2006 the MOA was extended to twenty-five (25) years for the Post to maintain the Clark Cemetery, and

WHEREAS, the annual budget for upkeep of the cemetery is about twelve thousand dollars derived from soliciting donations from veterans and outside organizations. There is no U.S. or Philippine Government funding involved, and

WHEREAS, the by-laws of the VFW organization dictate that a Post shall not solicit funds or donations or otherwise engage in fund-raising activities or projects outside the immediate geographical area or community of the Post, and

WHEREAS, this limits the Post’s ability to solicit funds to properly budget as costs increase over the years, so the Post must realized more funding to provide proper upkeep, thus needs to solicit outside its area; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Department of Pacific Areas fully supports the Post in its endeavors with Clark Cemetery and hereby authorizes solicitation of funds for management and upkeep of the Clark Cemetery within the geographical areas of the Department; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a Clark Cemetery Chairman may be appointed by the Department as recommended by the Post.  As an officer of the Department the chairman shall provide a report to the Department Convention and at other times as deemed necessary.

Submitted by: Department Commander

To: Department By-Laws and Resolutions Review Committee

The intent of this resolution is; 1) to officially recognize support for Clark Cemetery, 2) that solicitation may be conducted with in the Department area and 3) provide officially a Clark Cemetery Chairman to be listed as an officer of the Department.

 

Yours in Comradeship,

Bill Wichman

Department Judge Advocate 

Sunday May 04, 2008 03:54 AM -0500