PUBLIC LAW 105-261—OCT. 17, 1998 112 STAT. 2017 and imprisoned under the worst of conditions, with many of them dying while held as prisoners of war. (b) CONGRESSIONAL COMMENDATION.— Congress— (1) commends the Navy and Marine Corps personnel who served in the Asiatic Fleet of the United States Navy during the period from 1910 to 1942; and (2) honors those who gave their lives in the line of duty while serving in the Asiatic Fleet. (c) COMMEMORATION OF UNITED STATES NAVY ASIATIC FLEET. — The President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation President, designating an appropriate commemoration of the United States Navy Asiatic Fleet and calling upon the people of the United States to observe such commemoration with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. SEC. 534. APPRECIATION FOR SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II BY MEMBERS OF THE NAVY ASSIGNED ON BOARD MERCHANT SHIPS AS THE NAVAL ARMED GUARD SERVICE. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress makes the following findings: (1) The Navy established a special force during both World War I and World War II, known as the Naval.^roed Guard Service, to protect merchant ships of the United States from enemy attack by stationing members of the Navy and weapons on board those ships. (2) Members of the Naval Armed Guard Service served on 6,236 merchant ships during World War II, of which 710 were sunk by enemy action. (3) Over 144,900 members of the Navy served in the Naval Armed Guard Service during World War II as officers, gun crewmen, signalmen, and radiomen, of whom 1,810 were killed in action. (4) The efforts of the members of the Naval Armed Guard Service played a significant role in the safe passage of United States merchant ships to their destinations in the Soviet Union and various locations in western Europe and the Pacific Theater. (5) The efforts of the members of the Navy who served in the Naval Armed Guard Service have been largely overlooked due to the rapid disbanding of the service after World War II and lack of adequate records. (6) Recognition of the service of the naval personnel who served in the Naval Armed Guard Service is highly warranted and long overdue. (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.— Congress expresses its appreciation, and the appreciation of the American people, for the dedicated service performed during World War I and World War II by members of the Navy assigned as gun crews on board merchant ships as part of the Naval Armed Guard Service. SEC. 536. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE HEROISM, SACRIFICE, AND SERVICE OF THE MILITARY FORCES OF SOUTH VIET- NAM, OTHER NATIONS, AND INDIGENOUS GROUPS IN CONNECTION WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT. (a) FINDINGS.— Congress finds the following: (1) South Vietnam, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand, and the Philippines contributed military forces.
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