Sec. 2. FINDINGS

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## SEC. 2 FINDINGS Congress finds the following: ####

(1)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. ####

(2)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. ####

(3)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. ####

(4)Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for duty in the Vietnam War in 1967, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division. ####

(5)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. ####

(6)Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service and the Silver Star for gallantry in action. ####

(7)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. ####

(8)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. ####

(9)In 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began serving as a staffer on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the United States Senate. ####

(10)In 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead the Veterans Administration. ####

(11)He was the youngest Administrator of the Veterans Administration ever and the first Vietnam veteran to head the agency. ####

(12)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. ####

(13)Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 1982 as Secretary of State of Georgia, the youngest individual to hold the office, and served in that position for 14 years. ####

(14)In 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the United States Senate representing Georgia. ####

(15)As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Joseph Maxwell Cleland advocated for Georgia’s military bases, members of the Armed Forces, and veterans, including by championing key personnel issues, playing a critical role in the effort to allow members of the Armed Forces to pass their GI Bill education benefits to their children, and establishing a new veterans cemetery in Canton, Georgia. ####

(16)In 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed to the 9/11 Commission. ####

(17)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. ####

(18)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. ####

(19)In 2010, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery, where he served until 2017. ####

(20)Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored three books: Strong at the Broken Places, Going for the Max: 12 Principles for Living Life to the Fullest, and Heart of a Patriot. ####

(21)Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous honors and awards over the course of his long and distinguished career. ####

(22)Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, veteran, and lifelong civil servant who proudly served Georgia, the United States, and all veterans and members of the Armed Forces of the United States. ####

(23)On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Joseph Maxwell Cleland died, leaving behind a legacy of service, sacrifice, and joy.