Summary#
This bill would require the Secretary of Defense to authorize adding the names of 74 crew members of the USS Frank E. Evans, killed June 3, 1969, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. It sets a one‑year deadline for that authorization and requires consultation with the Department of the Interior, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and other authorities about name wording and placement. The bill also says the Commemorative Works Act does not apply to these actions.
- Main change: DoD must authorize inclusion of 74 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall within one year of enactment.
- Consultation required: DoD must consult Interior, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and others about nomenclature and placement if there are space limits.
- Legal exemption: The Commemorative Works Act will not apply to the activities carried out under this bill.
- Who is named: The bill identifies the 74 crew members of the USS Frank E. Evans killed on June 3, 1969.
What it means for you#
- Families of the 74 crew members: The names of your relatives would be added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, if the bill becomes law and the Secretary of Defense authorizes it.
- Visitors to the Wall: The memorial would display 74 additional names. How the wall looks or how names are arranged could change to make room.
- Department of Defense: Must act to authorize inclusion and consult with Interior and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. This creates a one‑year task deadline.
- Department of the Interior and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: Must be consulted about name wording and placement and may need to help decide how to fit the names on the Wall.
- Other families or groups interested in additions: This action could be seen as a precedent for adding other names, but the bill does not address future requests. This could mean similar requests might seek the same approach.
- General public/tourists: No direct policy change to services; you may see the Wall with additional names.
Expenses#
No publicly available information.
- The bill does not include a cost estimate or authorize specific funding.
- This would likely create administrative and logistical tasks for DoD, Interior, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (for example, deciding placement, producing and installing name panels). Those tasks could have staff time and material costs.
- Exempting the action from the Commemorative Works Act could change the usual review steps, which may affect the timing or nature of costs.
- It is unclear who would pay any direct costs for design, fabrication, or installation.
Proponents' View#
- The bill appears intended to ensure that the 74 crew members of the USS Frank E. Evans who died on June 3, 1969 are officially added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
- A possible argument for the bill is that it corrects an omission and provides formal recognition for those service members.
- The one‑year deadline and the exemption from the Commemorative Works Act could be seen as steps to speed the addition of names.
- Required consultation with Interior and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund could be seen as a way to manage placement and wording responsibly.
Opponents' View#
- One concern is that removing the Commemorative Works Act from this action bypasses the usual review process and public procedures that apply to changes at federal memorials.
- The bill does not say who will pay for any changes, so funding and cost responsibility are unclear.
- It is unclear exactly how the names will be placed if there is limited space on the Wall and whether that will require altering the monument or existing name order.
- This approach could raise questions about precedent: others might ask for similar legislative additions instead of following existing processes.
- The one‑year timeline may be tight for agencies to finish consultations and any physical work, which could cause scheduling or implementation issues.