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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07122005 - C28 -�T-L Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS :'�r �� '�.• .�_ - Costa 01 Supervisor Federal D. Glover FROM: p County Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier =_ '4 colu ' DATE: July 12, 2005 Ad SUBJECT: SUPPORT OF THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL CEMETERY AT THE CONCORD NAVAL WEAPON STATION SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDED ACTION: 1. Approve the Support of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisor to the United Veterans Council, including the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 154, American Legion Post 151 and VFW Post 1898, requesting the Department of Veterans Affairs designate an appropriate portion of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station for a National Cemetery. 2. Approve the Support of Placing this Board Order before the agencies including the Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the Congress of the United States for their review and recommendations to support a bill to create a National Cemetery on a portion of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: This area is one of the largest military veteran populations in Northern California and the Greater San Francisco Bay area with the two closest National Cemeteries currently closed to new internments. The nearest National Cemetery accepting new veteran interments is over ninety miles from Concord and the San Francisco Bay Area. Our Nation is losing over 1,500 veterans each day from World War II and the Korean War. There is a desperate need to establish a new National Cemetery in Northern California to serve as a final resting place for the veterans of the Vietnam War, Cold War, Afghanistan War, Gulf Wars and the Iraq War. National Cemeteries have previously been established on former military installations such as the Concord Naval Weapon Station. The inland portion of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station has been mothballed since 1999 and is currently being considered under the current Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC 2005) for closure. The Concord Naval Weapon Station also has the history of the largest catastrophe on the United States mainland during World War Il, the Port Chicago Explosion where there was a loss of 311 Africa American Sailors. The United Veterans Council of Pittsburg is also requesting that a National Memorial should be placed within the cemetery and annually on the date of the disaster a remembrance of the past not be forgotten. The United Veterans Council of Pittsburg is asking for the Support and Approval of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors for the creation of a National Cemetery at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATUR . RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECO ENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S) ACTION OF BOARD ON © APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED: OTHER: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS: UNANIMOUS(ABSENT hJO 1� ) AYES: NOES: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED " 1 orib JOHN SWE TE ,-CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY DEPU