Drafter
Clerk 03/02/2017
Title
A MOTION commemorating the centennial of the United States of America's entrance into World War One and honoring the employees of King County and the city of Seattle who served in the war.
Body
WHEREAS, on April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson requested that the United States Congress issue a declaration of war to join the Allies in the Great War, which is now known as World War One, and
WHEREAS, on April 4, 1917, the United States Senate voted to support the declaration of war, and
WHEREAS, on April 6, 1917, the United States House of Representatives voted to support the declaration of war, marking the formal date of the United States of America's entrance into the war, and
WHEREAS, more than sixty thousand residents of Washington state served in the Army, Navy, Marines or Coast Guard during the war, and
WHEREAS, those Washington state residents included one hundred twenty employees of King County, both men and women, who left their positions at the offices of the King County engineer, hospital, sheriff, auditor, clerk, assessor, garage, prosecuting attorney, justice of the peace, superintendent of buildings and coroner to serve their country in the armed forces during the war, and
WHEREAS, those Washington state residents also included three hundred ninety-two employees of the city of Seattle, both men and women, who at that time worked alongside their King County colleagues at the County-City Building, which is now known as the King County Courthouse, who served their country in the armed forces during the war, and
WHEREAS, in 1931, King County and the city of Seattle affixed bronze plaques entitled "Honor Roll of County Employees" and "Honor Roll of City Employees" at the entrance to the County-City Building to honor those employees who had served in the war, and
WHEREAS, on May 29, 1931, the Seattle Times wrote of these commemorative plaques, "It is a proper tribute to the men who served this country in its armies ...

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