Res 1412-2017

By Council Members Eugene, Gentile, Vallone, Kallos and Ulrich Whereas, The men and women of the armed forces make enormous sacrifices and often risk their lives in order to serve this country; and Whereas, Their bravery and heroism merits generous and extensive accommodation from government at the local, state, and federal levels, not only to reward current soldiers but also to encourage future citizens to consider joining the military; and Whereas, The nation's first Commander-in-Chief, George Washington, articulated this concept eloquently, when he noted that "the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation;" and Whereas, June 22nd is a day of special importance for our veterans; and Whereas, On that day in 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill of Rights, which provided returning soldiers with benefits such as college scholarships and zero down payments for home loans; and Whereas, More than 2.5 million veterans served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many of them saw multiple deployments; and Whereas, As these individuals come home and reintegrate into civilian life, it is incumbent upon our elected civilian leaders to honor and pay tribute to these individuals whenever and wherever possible; and Whereas, As a city that nearly 200,000 veterans call home, and a place of unique cultural, economic, and symbolic importance, New York City strives to acknowledge the contributions of our nation's veterans; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York declares June 22nd New York City Veterans Tribute and Advocacy Day LS#10306 3/10/2017 MK