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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Thadd Harrison |
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Blanton is being posthumously honored with the unveiling of an |
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Official Texas Historical Marker on February 25, 2023, in |
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Gainesville; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Windthorst and raised in Gainesville, Thadd |
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Blanton attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College before |
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enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940; he was commissioned as |
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a second lieutenant, and he served as a B-25 pilot with the 37th |
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Bomb Squadron at Pendleton Field in Oregon; and |
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WHEREAS, In early 1942, Captain Blanton volunteered for the |
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Doolittle Raid, a secret mission that was the first World War II |
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attack on the Japanese home islands; serving as copilot of Crew |
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No. 12 of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, he lifted off from the |
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USS Hornet aboard the Fickle Finger of Fate, a B-25 bomber, on April |
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18 of that year; his crew completed a bombing mission over Yokohama, |
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Japan, and then were forced to bail out over China when their |
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aircraft ran out of fuel; and |
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WHEREAS, This courageous aviator next served with the 7th |
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Bombardment Group and the 341st Bombardment Group in India before |
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flying with the 430th Bomb Squadron and then the 99th Bomb Squadron |
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based at Pinecastle Army Airfield in Florida; from 1946 through |
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1949, he was the test, executive, and operations officer with the |
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First Experimental Guided Missiles Group at Eglin Air Force Base in |
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Florida; his accomplished service was recognized with a series of |
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promotions, and he ultimately attained the rank of lieutenant |
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colonel; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the final years of his career, Lieutenant |
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Colonel Blanton held such roles as commander of the Grand Bahama |
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Auxiliary Air Force Base and commander of the Headquarters Squadron |
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Section, 13th Air Force, at Clark Air Base; in 1959 and 1960, he was |
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special assistant to the deputy chief of staff for operations of the |
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13th Air Force; his commendations included the Distinguished Flying |
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Cross and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, |
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First Grade; he retired on November 15, 1960, and he passed away on |
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September 27, 1961, at the age of 42; and |
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WHEREAS, Demonstrating remarkable heroism, Thadd Blanton |
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courageously served his nation during World War II, and Americans |
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owe a debt to this valiant Texan that the passage of time can never |
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diminish; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the unveiling of an Official Texas |
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Historical Marker posthumously honoring U.S. Air Force Lieutenant |
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Colonel Thadd Harrison Blanton and extend sincere best wishes to |
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all those in attendance for a meaningful and memorable event; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the family of Lieutenant Colonel Blanton as an |
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expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |