SENATE MEMORIAL 20

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2020

INTRODUCED BY

William H. Payne

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE APPROPRIATE DISPLAY AND CONSERVATION OF THE TWO BELLS FROM THE HISTORIC BATTLESHIP USS NEW MEXICO, BB-40.

 

     WHEREAS, the USS New Mexico, BB-40, was launched on April 23, 1917 and was christened by Margarita C de Baca, the daughter of former New Mexico Governor Ezequiel Cabeza de Baca; and

     WHEREAS, the USS New Mexico was commissioned on May 20, 1918, becoming the first United States navy warship named after New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the USS New Mexico was the lead ship of a class of three super-dreadnought battleships, incorporating in her design a revolutionary turbo-electric system of propulsion; and

     WHEREAS, the USS New Mexico served with distinction throughout World War II, earning six battle stars and providing critical shore bombardment in actions at the Aleutian islands, Guam, Tarawa, the Marshall islands, the Mariana islands, Luzon and Okinawa; and

     WHEREAS, the USS New Mexico was struck twice by kamikaze attacks, the first on January 6, 1945 and the second on May 12, 1945, resulting in the deaths of eighty-four crew members and wounding more than two hundred others; and

     WHEREAS, the USS New Mexico was decommissioned on July 19, 1946 and was sold for scrap on November 9, 1947; and

     WHEREAS, the bell from the USS New Mexico that is on display at the university of New Mexico is believed to have come to the state in 1945; and

     WHEREAS, the bell from the USS New Mexico that is currently in the collections vault at the New Mexico history museum came to the state in 1948; and

     WHEREAS, the bell from the USS New Mexico that is on display at the university of New Mexico is on loan to the state from the naval history and heritage command; and

     WHEREAS, in 1948, the United States congress donated the bell that is in the collections vault at the New Mexico history museum to New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico, as the recipient of the bells, is expected to display the bells in a careful, prudent, dignified and respectful manner so as to accurately reflect the history, heritage and traditions of the naval service;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the cultural affairs department be requested to convene a task force to make recommendations for the appropriate display of the bells; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include one representative of the cultural affairs department, one representative of the department of military affairs, one representative of the veterans' services department, one representative of the facilities management division of the general services department, one representative of the university of New Mexico, one representative of the navy league of the United States, New Mexico council and others with expertise and interest in the history of the USS New Mexico, BB-40; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force make recommendations for how the bells might be best displayed and identify any funding that might be necessary for the appropriate display of the bells; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force present its report and recommendations to the military and veterans' affairs committee by October 2, 2020; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of cultural affairs, the secretary of veterans' services, the adjutant general of the department of military affairs, the director of the facilities management division of the general services department, the president of the university of New Mexico, the president of the navy league of the United States, New Mexico council and the co-chairs of the military and veterans' affairs committee.

- 4 -