A concurrent resolution urging the 119th Congress to provide for the inclusion on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall the names of the lost crew members of the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans.
House Concurrent Resolution 3005 is a memorial-style resolution urging the 119th Congress to direct that the names of the lost crew members of the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans be added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The resolution recounts the June 3, 1969 collision between the Evans and HMAS Melbourne during Operation Sea Spirit, which killed 74 U.S. sailors, including two North Dakota servicemen, Patrick Gene Glennon of Fessenden and Robert James Seale of Grand Forks. It argues that the sailors should be recognized as Vietnam-era casualties because the ship was engaged in combat support missions and would have returned to those duties after the training operation.
The resolution does not change North Dakota statutes or create a state program. Instead, it expresses the Legislature’s position and asks federal lawmakers and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to recognize the Evans crew members for inclusion on the memorial wall. It also directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the resolution to federal leaders and North Dakota’s congressional delegation.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill is supportive and commemorative. The measure is framed as an act of honor for fallen service members, with a particular emphasis on the two North Dakota sailors and the broader group of 74 Americans who died in the accident. Because there were no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no evidence of opposition in the available record.
No notable points of contention appear in the provided materials. The only substantive issue embedded in the resolution is the eligibility question for memorial inclusion: whether the Evans sailors qualify under the Vietnam Veterans Memorial criteria as having died directly or indirectly as a result of military operations in Southeast Asia. The resolution takes the position that they do.
HCR3005 has no direct effect on North Dakota law, appropriations, or regulatory authority. Its practical impact is limited to expressing legislative support for a federal action and formally transmitting that request to Congress, the President, and North Dakota’s congressional delegation. The resolution seeks to influence federal memorial policy and the criteria used by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the Department of Defense in determining whose names appear on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
The available record suggests broad supportive sentiment. The resolution is honorary in nature and is presented as a recognition measure for deceased servicemembers, especially the two North Dakota sailors named in the text. No committee debate, amendments, or roll-call votes are provided, so there is no documented opposition in the materials supplied. The tone of the measure is respectful, commemorative, and advocacy-oriented.
The main issue that could generate disagreement is whether the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans crew members meet the criteria for inclusion on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The resolution argues they do, citing the ship’s combat support role and the circumstances of the accident, while the memorial’s existing eligibility framework is tied to deaths directly or indirectly resulting from military operations in Southeast Asia. In the materials provided, no legislator or stakeholder is identified as opposing the resolution, so any contention is only implicit in the federal eligibility question.