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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 6
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WHEREAS, On September 11, 2001, our nation was forever |
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changed by the deadliest terrorist attack to take place on |
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American soil, and as we observe the 20th anniversary of that |
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tragedy, it is fitting that we pay tribute to the courage and |
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heroism that shone on one of our country's darkest days and in the |
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challenging years that followed; and |
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WHEREAS, On that infamous morning, terrorist hijackers |
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seized four civilian airliners, using two of them to bring down |
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the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and |
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another to explode into the Pentagon; the fourth airplane, United |
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Flight 93, believed to be targeting the United States Capitol, |
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crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside thanks to the heroic |
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resistance of its passengers; altogether, nearly 3,000 innocent |
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people lost their lives, including more than 400 New York first |
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responders, 184 individuals at the Pentagon, and the 40 |
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passengers of Flight 93; and |
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WHEREAS, Among those who survived the attack on the |
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Pentagon was United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Brian |
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Birdwell, who had already distinguished himself throughout his |
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over-17 years of duty in the armed forces; while working in his |
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second floor office when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into |
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the Pentagon building, he was critically wounded and received |
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burns over more than 60 percent of his body; this valiant officer |
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was hospitalized for months as he endured 39 operations and a |
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number of skin grafts; he was awarded the Purple Heart, and upon |
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his retirement from the army in July 2004, he was further honored |
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with the Legion of Merit medal; along with his wife, Mel |
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Birdwell, he later founded a nonprofit organization, Face the |
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Fire Ministries, to support survivors of severe burns, wounded |
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service members, and their families; in 2010 Lieutenant Colonel, |
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Retired, Birdwell continued his public service when he was |
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elected to the Texas Senate; and |
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WHEREAS, While September 11, 2001, will forever be |
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remembered as a day of tragedy and loss, we also remember the |
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selfless determination of law enforcement officers, |
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firefighters, and other rescue workers who charged into danger |
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that morning and in the days after; these first responders |
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continued to show up and search for survivors and remains in |
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the days and weeks after the attacks, and many of these heroes |
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lost their lives assisting the people who were trapped and |
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injured; and |
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WHEREAS, Texans have accounted for a significant number of |
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men and women of the United States Armed Forces who lost their |
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lives or were wounded when answering the call to action in |
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locations around the globe as our country responded to the |
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terrorist threat; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas and the United States has long been a beacon |
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of hope for vulnerable and disenfranchised people around the |
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world, and the State of Texas has long valued and defended the |
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principles of democracy, individual liberty, freedom of speech, |
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and freedom of religion; as citizens of conscience of this great |
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land, we bear both the responsibility and the honor to raise our |
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voices to honor and tell the story of survival and resilience in |
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order to remember the valor that was demonstrated by countless |
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people on September 11, 2001, and in its aftermath; the roll call |
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of honor that includes everyone from the first responders and |
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ordinary civilians who came to the aid of victims, to the living |
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friends and loved ones of those who perished; and |
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WHEREAS, The 20th anniversary of 9/11 offers an |
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appropriate opportunity to pay tribute to all of the heroes who |
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emerged from that tragedy and to acknowledge the sacrifice and |
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determination that has enabled our nation to endure; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 20th |
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anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and all those |
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who have sacrificed in dedicated service to our state and country |
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as a result of that fateful day. |
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Springer |
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| Alvarado |
Hinojosa |
Nichols |
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| Bettencourt |
Huffman |
Paxton |
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| Buckingham |
Johnson |
Powell |
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| Campbell |
Kolkhorst |
Schwertner |
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Patrick, President of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on September 20, 2021. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |