fiscal year 1968 budget deficit. A budget of $2,329,000 has been approved by the President for fiscal year 1969. Congressional hearings on the fiscal year 1969 budget have not yet been held. During the peak construction period of our World War II commemorative program, Commission personnel exceeded 900. Since 1964 the number of personnel has been stabilized at 440. During the next 5 years, we plan to complete several major commemorative projects. Congress has charged us with construction of a memorial to General of the Armies John J. Pershing in Washington, D.C. The memorial's preliminary concept and design, as well as the architects, have been approved by the Commission and the Fine Arts Commission. Preliminary working drawings and specifications are in the process of being made and should be completed soon. Another commemorative project in the planning stage is our small monuments project. There are a number of relatively isolated places where Americans made heavy sacrifices during World War II and Korea, such as Guadalcanal, Seoul, Bataan and Leyte; the erection of these, long overdue, awaits a more favorable financial atmosphere. We hope to commemorate these and others with a simple inscribed stone marker requiring little maintenance. Approximately 40 such sites are under consideration. As yet, a design for the marker has not been submitted to the Fine Arts Commission for consideration. The report of the U.S. Veterans' Advisory Commission on the Veterans' Benefits Systems states, in effect, that a single arm of the Federal Government should administer all veterans benefit programs. In recommending the transfer of the Battle Monuments Commission to the Veterans' Administration, the Advisory Commission apparently had the understanding that our work is a veterans' benefit program, although it did not consult with the Battle Monuments Commission nor did it ask any member to appear before it or submit anything to it in writing. On the contrary, our battlefield cemeteries are closed to future burials, except for a body that may be found on the battlefield in the area. They are in fact memorials similar to the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor and those cemeteries remaining with the Park Service. They can provide no material benefit either to living veterans or to veterans' dependents. I might add here parenthetically that most of those interred in our cemeteries never had the opportunity to become veterans. They were killed in their first enlistment. Our cemeteries and memorials are places of great beauty and historical interest. Each year, they are visited by more than a million foreigners and thousands of Americans. All visitors are profoundly impressed by the serene beauty and majesty of the memorials and their surroundings. Relatives, next of kin, and friends who visit these shrines are given peace of mind and satisfaction. We have received hundreds of letters attesting to this. Foreigners are reminded of our Nation's respect for her honored dead and the supreme sacrifice made by so many Americans for their freedom and well being. Last summer, at memorial ceremonies in cemeteries in both France and Luxembourg, I observed many natives with tears in their eyes. I know of no program or activity which promotes more sympathy, understanding, and friendship for the United States among people of the countries where the memorials are located. The transfer of ABMC either as an organization or its functions would be expensive both in terms of manpower and funds. Even simple little things like reprinting pamphlets and stationery would be costly. These additional expenses would not improve veterans' benefits the slightest bit. The mission of the Battle Monuments Commission, stated briefly, is to erect and maintain memorials and monuments commemorating the services of American forces in battle, and to administer and maintain our battlefield cemeteries in foreign countries. We believe the Commission has performed this mission effectively, efficiently, and economically, in short, in an outstanding manner. In this field we are specialists. At this point I believe it would be appropriate to quote from a statement of the American Legion before the Subcommittee on Hospitals, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives, on the national cemetery policy, June 28, 1966: We see no merit in the provisions to abolish the American Battle Monuments Commission. The overseas cemeteries under its jurisdiction are all closed and inactive. There would be little point to their placement under VA. These cemeteries, as the members of this committee are aware, are among the world's most beautiful and the Commission's management of them is beyond reproach. The Battle Monuments Commission is in wholehearted agreement with that statement. A transfer of ABMC to the Veterans' Administration would not result in any more or better benefits to veterans and their dependents than the transfer of those cemeteries, monuments, and war memorials maintained by the Department of the Interior which have been excluded, and it would not result in a better or more economical operation. The Commission therefore recommends that ABMC not be transferred to the Veterans' Administration. Again may I say that the American Battle Monuments Commission is grateful for the opportunity to express its views to this committee. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. Mr. Haley. Mr. HALEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. General, I will say one thing—you are unique in your operation. I think you are the only Department of Federal Government, to my knowledge, that has ever returned any of its appropriations back to the Treasury. So, for that you certainly are to be commended. General, let me ask you this: You have control of the cemetery in the Philippines and on Corregidor-wherever it is-is it Manila? General ADAMS. Yes, sir, we do. Not the Corregidor Memorial. Are you talking about the cemetery? Mr. HALEY. Yes. General ADAMS. The cemetery, yes. But not the memorial. Mr. HALEY. After the admission of Hawaii to statehood, did you ever have control of the cemetery out near Honolulu? General ADAMS. No, sir, the Army has that cemetery. The Battle Monuments Commission has the memorial there until such time as it is transferred to the Army. Mr. HALEY. It will be turned over to the Army? Mr. HALEY. I think that is all. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. Is the cemetery in Manila open? General ADAMS. Not for burials; no. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. What about the boys being killed in Vietnam? General ADAMS. It is open. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. For boys coming from Vietnam? General ADAMS. Yes, sir. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. Is there any change in law, as far as the Battle Monuments Commission is concerned, that you recommend? General ADAMS. I know of none, sir, except status quo. (The following letter was received from the witness after hearings were completed, and is included in the record on instruction of the Chair.) Hon. OLIN E. TEAGUE, Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. APRIL 8, 1968. DEAR MR. TEAGUE: On behalf of the American Battle Monuments Commission, may I again express our thanks and appreciation to you for giving us the opportunity to appear last week before your special subcommittee on cemeteries. You asked at that time if there is any legislation needed by the Commission to facilitate our operations. We replied to your query that maintaining the "status quo" was our most pressing requirement at the moment. Since then, however, I have been able to give your question more thought. As you know, the primary mission of this Commission is to commemorate the achievements of our Armed Forces in battle. Construction and maintenance of battlefield memorial military cemeteries on foreign soil, although very important adjuncts of our operations, nevertheless, are outgrowths of our primary function. In August of 1953, the Corregidor-Bataan Memorial Commission was created and charged with erection of a memorial on Corregidor honoring the Filipinos and Americans who gave their lives there. By agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States, it is to be turned over to the Philippine Government to be maintained and administered in a manner appropriate for consecrated ground, once construction is completed. The memorial, which is now being erected under the supervision of the U.S. Navy, is scheduled for completion in the summer of 1968. However, the legislation which provided for the Corregidor-Bataan Memorial Commission has expired. Recently, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee asked us if we would assume responsibility for the memorial pending its turnover to the Republic of the Philippines. We of course informed them that we would be honored to do so. Since then, the Department of the Navy and the Department of State have indicated that they would like for us to participate actively in planning the dedication which will be a joint U.S. and Philippine effort. H.R. 3399 as amended and passed by the Senate gives us this responsibility. It was returned to the House in December 1967 and presently is in Committee. We understand that the U.S. Embassy in Manila has agreed tentatively with the Philippine Shrines Commission, representing the Government of the Philippines, upon June 22, 1968 as the dedication date for this Memorial. During a recent inspection of our Manila Cemetery and Memorial, a representative of this office visited Corregidor and reports that construction progress is such that this date probably can be met. However, a great deal of work must be done to arrange for the dedication, which will involve high officials of both Governments, and much coordination is necessary with the Department of State and the Navy and with the Philippine Shrines Commission, not only with respect to the dedication, but concerning turnover of the completed Memorial to the Republic of the Philippines, its maintenance, provision of access facilities and treatment of the terrain and ruins near the Memorial. Time is becoming a critical consideration, and the American Battle Monuments Commission cannot participate in any way until H.R. 3399 becomes law. We will be greatly appreciative of any action you can take to expedite House passage of H.R. 3399. Sincerely, JACOB L. DEVERS, General, USA (Retired), Chairman. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. How long are we going to wait for General Pershing's memorial? General ADAMS. Until we get the money. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. Maybe we can help that way. We are building a lot of other memorials. Surely we have reached a period in time that we should complete it. Did I hear your statement correctly— you have not submitted a plan? General ADAMS. No, sir; we have the plan. We do not have the detailed drawings and specifications; $86,000 of this year's funds which were supposed to go for that have been withheld by the Bureau of the Budget. Mr. HALEY. General, what will the memorial to General Pershing cost, roughly? General ADAMS. About one and a half million dollars, sir. Mr. HALEY. Even with the fiscal situation that we have at the moment and our wild spending programs that we have been in for the last 20 or 25 years, I would think that the Treasury could certainly stand that much money to honor one of the great military leaders, in my opinion, of all time. Thank you. General DEVERS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say one thing. The plan for the Pershing Memorial has been coordinated with the Pennsylvania Avenue Commission and we are in agreement. All we need to proceed is money. General NORTH. Yes; with respect to the General Pershing Monument, it has been so designed that the memorial can be built whether or not the Pennsylvania Avenue project goes through. If it goes through, the Memorial can be embodied in it. If not, the memorial can stand alone. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. General, what has happened? Have all cemeteries created by divisions all over France and Italy-have all of those been closed down or been turned over to you people? General DEVERS. That is some part of the law that we have been thinking about at the proper time. Since I have been chairman, we have made a great effort to assist the divisions in taking care of their monuments overseas. We have no responsibility for monuments overseas other than our own. The 1st Division has a wonderful organization, lots of money, and we assist them in maintaining and handling the details in the countries in which those monuments are located. I would say the same for the 2d and the 3d Divisions. But there are other divisions whose monuments are just going to pot. We get a lot of criticism, as people blame us for it. We go to the division and their associations but you know the veterans of the First World War, particularly, are passing away. Some of them who furnish the maintenance for their monuments are worrying about who is going to take it up when they are no longer here. 92-497-68-9 The interest is gone. So we have been making a real effort to assist those interested to provide for future maintenance after they are gone. We may need some legislation later when we know the best way to get this job done. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. I saw one outside of Florence, Italy, the 91st Division, that I thought was a disgrace. General NORTH. I can tell you about that, Mr. Chairman. There were two regiments of the 91st Division who built monuments in disregard of the Department's prohibition against it, which General Adams mentioned. We prevailed upon the sponsors of one of them and helped them arrange for its demolition. It had a very fine bronze statue to the American soldier and with their permission we have now installed it with an appropriate inscription in our cemetery at Florence. There is another one some miles away and we are trying to get their sponsors to take the same action. General ADAMS. Mr. Chairman, I believe your question also referred to cemeteries. There are no division cemeteries left. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. No, they are monuments, actually. What do you have in mind for Utah Beach? There is something there now? General ADAMS. There is an engineer monument there, constructed by the Engineer Brigade that controlled the landing during World War II at Utah Beach. We have designs for one for all troops, the architect is Mr. Paul Thiry from Seattle. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. What would happen to this engineer monument? Would it remain as is? General ADAMS. It would either remain as is or be encompassed with the monument Mr. Thiry would design. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. Who has the responsibility for that engineer monument? General ADAMS. That is a good question. We have been trying to find sponsors who had authority to say what they want done with it. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. General North, we were there together a few years ago. General NORTH. Yes. This was a monument, as General Adams said, which the organization built. We have been unable to find anybody to take any responsibility for its maintenance and in our discussions with Mr. Thiry, the architect, we have decided tentatively to refurbish that monument to take away its less pleasant aspects and to polish up the rest of it. Since we cannot find anybody to take any responsibility for authorizing us to do it, we shall hope that they won't yell too much when we have done it. Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. Who built it, General? General NORTH. The Engineer Brigade soldiers right after the end of the war. It wasn't too good a job of construction. Incidentally, Mr. Chairman, immediately available to it, close by, is a museum installed and maintained by the mayor of that little community in which Utah Beach lies. He was present as a young fellow when our troops came in. He is one of the most outstanding proAmericans I have ever met in France. He has a very fine little museum and he has been urging us for some time to build a national monument there, and last summer we had |