--- title: SR 787. Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project; celebrate dedication on March 29, 2026 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr787 cite_as: SR 787, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr787 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr787.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr787/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73281 date: 2026-02-18 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr786.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr788.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr787.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 787 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-18 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Ed Harbison - Emanuel Jones - Chuck Payne - Michael Rhett - Kenya Wicks - Ed Setzler - Tonya Anderson - Kay Kirkpatrick - Kim Jackson - Jason T. Dickerson - Sally Harrell - Jason Anavitarte - Billy Hickman - Randy Robertson - Shawn Still - Gail Davenport - Jaha Howard - Nabilah Islam Parkes - Nikki Merritt - David Lucas - Nan Orrock - Sheikh Rahman text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR787/2025 upstream_id: 2118515 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - veterans - Vietnam War memorial - Atlanta - Piedmont Park - Senate resolution --- # SR 787. Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project; celebrate dedication on March 29, 2026 ## Text Senate Resolution 787 By: Senators Harbison of the 15th, Jones of the 10th, Payne of the 54th, Rhett of the 33rd, Wicks of the 34th and others A RESOLUTION Celebrating the dedication of the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project on March 29, 2026; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project is a profound call to unity for veterans, families, and communities to recognize, honor, and memorialize the shared sacrifices made by those killed in action or while in other military service during the Vietnam War era; and WHEREAS, this memorial monument plaza is located in Atlanta's historic Piedmont Park, creating an open-air site readily accessible to individuals and groups; and WHEREAS, the memorial's design lists each of the more than 240 honorees beneath the seal of their hometown, symbolizing the collective sacrifice made by communities across Fulton County and affirming our shared United States citizenship and national unity; and WHEREAS, the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project extends beyond the construction of a monument and seeks to bring communities together in the same spirit of duty and service demonstrated by the honorees; and WHEREAS, the organizers of the project invite public participation and support through the purchase or donation of engraved commemorative bricks, allowing veterans of any era and supporters from all walks of life to demonstrate their commitment to honoring this legacy for generations to come; and WHEREAS, the dedication ceremony for the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project is scheduled to be held on March 29, 2026, at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, marking a historic moment of remembrance, unity, and reflection; and WHEREAS, Atlanta City Councilman Michael J. Bond has served as a champion of this project on behalf of the Greater Metro-Atlanta Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 1118 Inc.; and WHEREAS, special recognition is due to Reverend Eldson J. McGhee of Omega Holiness Church, an Atlanta-based Vietnam combat veteran, president and founder of the Greater Metro-Atlanta Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 1118 Inc., author, and respected community leader who has devoted his life to advocacy for veterans. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body celebrate the dedication of the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project on March 29, 2026. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the organizers of the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution formally celebrates the dedication of the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project in Piedmont Park on March 29, 2026, honoring more than 240 Vietnam War era honorees. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It recognizes the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project, a monument in Atlanta's Piedmont Park that lists more than 240 people from Fulton County communities who were killed in action or died in other military service during the Vietnam War era. The resolution notes the memorial's dedication ceremony is scheduled for March 29, 2026, and credits Atlanta City Councilman Michael J. Bond and Reverend Eldson J. McGhee, a Vietnam combat veteran and founder of the Greater Metro-Atlanta Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 1118 Inc., for their roles in the project. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to send copies of the resolution to the project's organizers. It creates no new law, funding, or requirements. ### What it does - Formally celebrates the March 29, 2026 dedication of the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project in Piedmont Park. - Recognizes the memorial's design honoring more than 240 people from Fulton County killed in action or otherwise lost during the Vietnam War era. - Publicly credits Atlanta City Councilman Michael J. Bond and Reverend Eldson J. McGhee for their leadership on the project. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the project's organizers. ### Who it affects This resolution mainly affects the organizers of the Sons of Atlanta Vietnam War Memorial Project, Vietnam War veterans and their families, the Greater Metro-Atlanta Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Atlanta community connected to Piedmont Park. ### Why it matters The resolution carries symbolic weight rather than legal effect. It gives official state recognition to a community memorial effort and its organizers, which can help publicize the March 29, 2026 dedication ceremony and honor Vietnam War veterans, but it does not change any Georgia law or provide funding. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause states the Senate celebrates the dedication of the memorial on March 29, 2026. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the project's organizers. - Whereas clauses describe the memorial's location in Piedmont Park and its listing of more than 240 honorees by hometown. - Whereas clauses recognize Michael J. Bond and Reverend Eldson J. McGhee for their roles in organizing the project. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-18) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-18) - Sponsors: Ed Harbison, Emanuel Jones, Chuck Payne, Michael Rhett, Kenya Wicks, Ed Setzler, Tonya Anderson, Kay Kirkpatrick, Kim Jackson, Jason T. Dickerson, Sally Harrell, Jason Anavitarte, Billy Hickman, Randy Robertson, Shawn Still, Gail Davenport, Jaha Howard, Nabilah Islam Parkes, Nikki Merritt, David Lucas, Nan Orrock, Sheikh Rahman - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73281 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr787.md?full=1