article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``DMZ War Veterans Recognition Act of 2006''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds that-- (1) the Korean War, which began in 1950 and ended when the Korean War Armistice was signed in 1953, is commonly known as the ``Forgotten War''; (2) a later war in Korea, known only to some veterans and their families as the ``Unknown War'' or the ``DMZ War'', occurred long after the Korean War Armistice was signed in 1953; (3) according to military documents, the leadership of North Korea issued a declaration of war against the United States in a speech in 1966, which read that ``U.S. imperialists should be dealt blows and their forces dispersed to the maximum in Asia. . . .''; (4) the 124th Special Forces unit of North Korea-- (A) was trained-- (i) to destroy the camps and civilians of the United States; (ii) to disrupt travel and communication between the Armed Forces; and (iii) to sabotage and assassinate the government officials of South Korea and the United States; and (B) repeatedly confronted the soldiers of the United States and the Republic of Korea when crossing through the Demilitarized Zone; (5) since the Armistice was signed, over 40,000 Armistice violations have occurred, many of which involved troops of the United States who were stationed in and around Korea; (6) some of those violations, like the capture of the USS Pueblo, caught the attention of the media, although most have not; (7) since the end of the Korean War, many soldiers of the United States have died or been wounded in Korea as a result of hostile fire; (8) some veterans of the Republic of Korea suffer from exposure to Agent Orange, which was used during a period that began in 1968 and ended in 1969 in and around the DMZ; (9) because the hazardous properties of Agent Orange last for at least 100 years, soldiers of the United States who later served in the Demilitarized Zone had been exposed to the chemical long after the Armed Forces stopped using it; (10) the military personnel of the United States who served in the Korean War during the period that began in 1966 and ended in 1969 received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and (11) a few of the soldiers who fought and died in the Korean War have been-- (A) nominated posthumously for the Congressional Medal of Honor; and (B) awarded-- (i) the Silver Star or Bronze Star for valor in combat; and (ii) the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. (a) Plaque.--The term ``plaque'' means the plaque directed to be placed at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. under section 4(a). (b) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service. SEC. 4. PLACEMENT OF COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE. Not later than November 11, 2009, the Secretary shall place on or near the grounds of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a plaque to commemorate the sacrifices of those who served, were wounded, or were killed from 1953 until the present in the defense of the Republic of Korea, that contains the following inscription (in which the bracketed space shall include the date on which the plaque is placed): ``Dedicated to the soldiers of the United States and the Republic of Korea who served, were wounded, or were killed from 1953 until the present in the defense of the Republic of Korea. The efforts of those soldiers have enabled the Republic of Korea to develop into a successful and modern country. Since 1953, the Armed Forces of the United States experienced more than 40,000 `Armistice violation incidents.' Those incidents have caused the deaths of over 100 soldiers of the Armed Forces of the United States and the wounding of hundreds more from hostile fire in the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters. Unknown to most citizens, the soldiers of the United States and the Republic of Korea fought and won the `DMZ War' between November 1966 and December 1969. That war caused the majority of the Armistice casualties. We remember the service, sacrifice, and valor of all of those soldiers on this 40th anniversary of the start of the DMZ War. Their fellow soldiers and their families will never forget them. Let this Plaque aid their countries to remember them as well. Placed this day, [__________].''.
summary: DMZ War Veterans Recognition Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to place on or near the grounds of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a plaque to commemorate the sacrifices of those who served, were wounded, or were killed from 1953 until the present in the defense of the Republic of Korea.