Sec. 5877. Sense of Congress regarding the life and legacy of Senator Joseph Maxwell Cleland
619 words·~3 min read·
/bill/117/hr/7900/eh/section-5877A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born August 24, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, the child of Juanita Kesler Cleland and Joseph Hughie Cleland, a World War II veteran, and grew up in Lithonia, Georgia. Joseph Maxwell Cleland graduated from Stetson University in Florida in 1964, and received his Master’s Degree in history from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Following his graduation from Stetson University, Joseph Maxwell Cleland received a Second Lieutenant’s Commission in the Army through its Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.
Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for duty in the Vietnam War in 1967, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division. On April 8, 1968, during combat at the mountain base at Khe Sanh, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was gravely injured by the blast of a grenade, eventually losing both his legs and right arm. Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service and the Silver Star for gallantry in action. In 1970, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the Georgia Senate as the youngest member and the only Vietnam veteran, where he served until 1975.
As a Georgia State Senator, Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored and advanced legislation to ensure access to public facilities in Georgia for elderly and handicapped individuals. In 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began serving as a staffer on the Committee on Veterans Affairs of the Senate. In 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead the Veterans Administration. He was the youngest Administrator of the Veterans Administration ever and the first Vietnam veteran to head the agency.
He served as a champion for veterans and led the Veterans Administration to recognize, and begin to treat, post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans suffering the invisible wounds of war. Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 1982 as Georgia’s Secretary of State, the youngest individual to hold the office, and served in that position for 14 years. in 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the United States Senate representing Georgia. As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Joseph Maxwell Cleland advocated for Georgia’s military bases, servicemembers, and veterans, including by championing key personnel issues, playing a critical role in the effort to allow servicemembers to pass their GI Bill education benefits to their children, and establishing a new veterans cemetery in Canton, Georgia.
In 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed to the 9/11 Commission. In 2003, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Board of Directors for the Export-Import Bank of the United States, where he served until 2007. In 2009, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by President Barack Obama as Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission overseeing United States military cemeteries and monuments overseas, where he served until 2017. Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored 3 books:
Strong at the Broken Places, Going for the Max: 12 Principles for Living Life to the Fullest, and Heart of a Patriot. Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous honors and awards over the course of his long and distinguished career. Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, veteran, and lifelong civil servant who proudly served Georgia, the United States, and all veterans and servicemembers of the United States. On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Joseph Maxwell Cleland died, leaving behind a legacy of service, sacrifice, and joy.
Congress has heard with profound sorrow of the death of the Honorable Joseph Maxwell Cleland, who served— with courage and sacrifice in combat in the Vietnam War; with unwavering dedication to Georgia as a State Senator, Secretary of State, and Senator; and with honorable service to the United States and veterans of the United States through his lifetime of public service and tenure as Administrator of the Veterans Administration.