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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, VIVA San Antonio Days at the State Capitol on March |
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30 through April 1, 2021, provide a welcome opportunity to honor San |
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Antonio residents for the important contributions they are making |
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to the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, The history of San Antonio can be traced back to |
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1691, when a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon a |
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river and named it San Antonio, in honor of Saint Anthony, whose |
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feast day was being celebrated; and |
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WHEREAS, The city was founded in 1718 by Father Antonio |
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Olivares; he established Mission San Antonio de Valero, which would |
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become etched in the annals of history in 1836 as the Alamo, the |
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site where 189 brave individuals held the mission for 13 days |
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against an army of some 4,000 Mexican soldiers; the cry "Remember |
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the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texas Revolution; |
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today, the Alamo is a shrine and museum and is widely recognized as |
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the cradle of Texas liberty; and |
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WHEREAS, San Antonio became formally incorporated in 1837, |
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when the fledgling Republic of Texas granted the city a charter; the |
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community retains its sense of history and tradition while |
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carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress; it continues to serve |
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as a crossroads and a meeting place, where the rich cultural |
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influences of Native Americans, Old Mexico, German immigrants, the |
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Wild West, African Americans, and the Deep South mingle and merge; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Known as Military City USA, San Antonio has a proud |
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military heritage; great figures like Pershing, Stilwell, Krueger, |
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LeMay, Chennault, and Eisenhower served at San Antonio military |
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installations, including Fort Sam Houston, the headquarters for the |
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U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South, and Joint Base San |
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Antonio-Randolph, the home of the Air Education and Training |
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Command, the Air Force Recruiting Service, the Air Force Personnel |
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Center, and the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center; |
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in addition, the city is the site of Joint Base San |
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Antonio-Lackland, the largest training wing in the United States |
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Air Force, which instructs all incoming airmen in basic military |
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training, along with vital National Guard and Air Force Reserve |
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missions; and |
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WHEREAS, The San Antonio Military Health System is the home |
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of all area military medical training; its distinguished |
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institutions include Brooke Army Medical Center, which houses the |
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only Level I Trauma Center in the Department of Defense and the |
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Center for the Intrepid, a world-renowned rehabilitation facility; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Recent years have brought remarkable economic |
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development to San Antonio as its skilled workforce, excellent |
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institutions of public and higher education, and high quality of |
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life have attracted important corporate businesses and industries |
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to the city; and |
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WHEREAS, The city's chambers of commerce serve as leading |
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advocates for the business community and are dedicated to building |
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and sustaining San Antonio's diverse and prosperous economy, |
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particularly in the major local industries of health care, |
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manufacturing, aerospace, and information technology; and |
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WHEREAS, San Antonio has one of the largest concentrations of |
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cybersecurity professionals in the United States, with a diverse |
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workforce and globally competitive cybersecurity ecosystem that is |
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strategically organized through CyberSecurity San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, Many people delight in visiting San Antonio each |
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year; in addition to the Alamo, highlights include La Villita, San |
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Fernando Cathedral, the San Antonio Missions Trail, and the famed |
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Paseo del Rio, also known as The River Walk; among the other |
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attractions that make San Antonio one of the top tourist |
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destinations in the country are SeaWorld San Antonio and the Six |
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Flags Fiesta Texas theme park, as well as the PGA Tour Valero Texas |
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Open, the Alamo Bowl, and the five-time world champion San Antonio |
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Spurs; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2018, the San Antonio Tricentennial Commission |
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commemorated the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Mission |
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San Antonio de Valero, the Presidio San Antonio de Bejar, and the |
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City of San Antonio; three centuries of the city's diverse history |
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and culture were honored with special events and initiatives |
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throughout the year; and |
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WHEREAS, The city will once again celebrate Fiesta San |
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Antonio in June 2021; first held 130 years ago, the event was |
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founded by a group of women who decorated horse-drawn carriages for |
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a parade in front of the Alamo and battled with flower blossoms |
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instead of bullets to honor the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle |
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of San Jacinto; and |
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WHEREAS, A city of great historical, cultural, and economic |
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importance, San Antonio is one of the treasures of the Lone Star |
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State, and its citizens may indeed take great pride in the place |
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they call home; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 30 through April 1, 2021, as |
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VIVA San Antonio Days at the State Capitol and extend to the city's |
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residents sincere best wishes for the future. |