Senate Concurrent ResolutionNo. 50


Introduced by Senator Nielsen

April 29, 2015


Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 50—Relative to World War II Remembrance Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 50, as introduced, Nielsen. World War II Remembrance Month.

This measure would urge the Governor to proclaim the month of June 2015 as World War II Remembrance Month, and call upon all Californians to observe the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.

Fiscal committee: no.

P1    1WHEREAS, The Second World War, which lasted from 1939
2to 1945, was the most widespread war in human history, directly
3involving more than 100 million people from more than 30
4different countries, which were split between two opposing military
5alliances--the Allies, led by the United States of America and the
6United Kingdom, and the Axis, led by Nazi Germany and the
7Empire of Japan; and

8WHEREAS, The Axis powers initiated military aggression and
9maintained the strategic momentum until gradually slowed by
10Allied resistance in late 1942 and 1943, after which the Allies
11reversed the momentum and commenced operations to liberate
12Axis-conquered lands; and

13WHEREAS, On December 11, 1941, four days after the
14Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Germany and Italy declared war
15on the United States; and

16WHEREAS, On June 4, 1942, the United States won a decisive
17naval victory over Japan in the Battle of Midway, generally
P2    1recognized as the event that began shifting the momentum of the
2Pacific Campaign in favor of the Allies; and

3WHEREAS, On November 8, 1942, United States and Allied
4forces commenced Operation Torch, the campaign to expel the
5German forces from Axis-occupied North Africa; and

6WHEREAS, Between August 1942 and February 1943, Allied
7forces invaded the Japanese-held island of Guadalcanal, beginning
8the celebrated Allied island-hopping campaign that forced the
9Japanese from various other Pacific island chains that the Japanese
10had earlier seized; and

11WHEREAS, German and other Axis forces in North Africa
12surrendered on May 13, 1943, leading to the successful landing in
13Sicily by United States and Allied forces in July 1943; and

14WHEREAS, On September 8, 1943, Axis member Italy
15surrendered to United States and Allied forces; and

16WHEREAS, More than 150,000 Allied soldiers landed in France
17on June 6, 1944, known thereafter as “D-Day”; and

18WHEREAS, On August 25, 1944, Allied forces liberated Paris;
19and

20WHEREAS, From mid to late December 1944, during the Battle
21of the Bulge, United States troops heroically resisted a massive
22German counteroffensive in Belgium and France; and

23WHEREAS, Fighting continued throughout the Pacific in 1944
24and early 1945, including major but costly American victories at
25Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa; and

26WHEREAS, Germany surrendered unconditionally to the
27Western Allies at Reims on May 7, 1945, and to the Soviet Union
28on May 9, 1945, in Berlin; and

29WHEREAS, President of the United States Harry S. Truman
30declared May 8, 1945, “V-E Day,” marking the end of World War
31II in Europe, although the war with Japan continued until August
3214, 1945; and

33WHEREAS, During World War II, an estimated 292,000
34members of the United States Armed Forces were killed in action
35and more than 400,000 members of the United States Armed Forces
36died; now, therefore, be it

37Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
38thereof concurring,
That the Legislature calls upon all Californians
39to observe the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World
40War, and urges them to observe the anniversary with appropriate
P3    1ceremonies and activities that honor and give thanks to the
2Californians and other Americans who fought in the war, both
3those who survived its horrific rigors and those who fell in the
4service of freedom; and be it further

5Resolved, That the Legislature urges the Governor to proclaim
6the month of June 2015 as World War II Remembrance Month;
7and be it further

8Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
9this resolution to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Military
10Department, the California State Military Museum, and to the
11author for appropriate distribution.



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