13 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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14 | 14 | | AN ACT ADOPTING THE VETERANS HISTORY MUSEUM OF THE CAROLINAS AS 2 |
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15 | 15 | | THE STATE'S VETERANS HISTORY MUSEUM. 3 |
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16 | 16 | | Whereas, the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas opened in the Town of 4 |
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17 | 17 | | Brevard in 2016; and 5 |
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18 | 18 | | Whereas, the mission of the Museum is "to honor our nation's veterans, to educate the 6 |
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19 | 19 | | public about our country's military history and the contribution of our service men and women, 7 |
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20 | 20 | | and to preserve important and unique historic artifacts"; and 8 |
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21 | 21 | | Whereas, the Museum honors veterans of all branches of the military but especially 9 |
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22 | 22 | | those of the Carolinas and the north Georgia region by displaying artifacts from the 20th century 10 |
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23 | 23 | | to the present; and 11 |
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24 | 24 | | Whereas, the Museum has a large collection of unique military artifacts, uniforms, 12 |
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25 | 25 | | weaponry, original newspapers, personal letters, and other one-of-a-kind items, such as a WWI 13 |
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26 | 26 | | six-person Maxim machine gun, a 1943 Willys Jeep and 1942 Harley-Davidson motorcycle used 14 |
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27 | 27 | | in WWII-Europe, and exhibits honoring women in the military and the United States Merchant 15 |
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28 | 28 | | Marine; and 16 |
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29 | 29 | | Whereas, the Museum serves as a gathering place for veterans to meet informally, 17 |
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30 | 30 | | share stories, and make new friends. Monthly programs include "Veterans Coffee & 18 |
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31 | 31 | | Conversation," which provides a welcoming and private space for combat and noncombat 19 |
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32 | 32 | | veterans to talk and listen; and 20 |
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33 | 33 | | Whereas, the Museum has six professionally produced, copyrighted videos, "Through 21 |
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34 | 34 | | Their Eyes," to teach the history of each American war since WWI, using local veterans' stories; 22 |
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35 | 35 | | and 23 |
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36 | 36 | | Whereas, the Museum is free to the public and is staffed by volunteers; and 24 |
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37 | 37 | | Whereas, the State does not have an official veterans history museum; Now, therefore, 25 |
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38 | 38 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 26 |
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39 | 39 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 145 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 27 |
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40 | 40 | | section to read: 28 |
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41 | 41 | | "ยง 145-52. State veterans history museum. 29 |
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42 | 42 | | The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas, located in Transylvania County, is adopted 30 |
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43 | 43 | | as the official Veterans History Museum of the State of North Carolina." 31 |
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44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 32 |
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