By:  Ratliff                                     S.R. No. 606
    1-1                           SENATE RESOLUTION
    1-2        WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is extremely proud
    1-3  to pay tribute to the members of the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion
    1-4  of the United States Army who saw action in World War II; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, On December 15, 1941, the 601st Tank
    1-6  Destroyer Battalion was activated by the United States War
    1-7  Department; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, The commanding officer of the battalion was
    1-9  Major Hershel D. Baker who instilled pride, discipline, loyalty, and
   1-10  fighting spirit in his men; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, In July, 1942, members of the 601st Tank
   1-12  Destroyer Battalion were loaded onto the Queen Mary and left
   1-13  New York harbor to sail to Scotland and then to England; from England
   1-14  the battalion sailed to Spanish Morocco; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, The battalion was deployed in North Africa and by the
   1-16  beginning of May, 1943, all German resistance was ended; the once
   1-17  proud Afrika Korps were humbled and desperately sought officials to
   1-18  whom they could surrender; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, After seeing intense action in North Africa,
   1-20  the 601st Battalion fought in Italy, France, Germany, and Austria;
   1-21  these intrepid soldiers were in Salzburg for Victory in Europe Day;
   1-22  and
   1-23        WHEREAS, The courage and sacrifice of these noble fighting men
    2-1  is a source of tremendous pride and gratitude to all Texans; and
    2-2        WHEREAS, In all, the 601st Battalion consisted of 1,800 men
    2-3  who fought in eight campaigns, spent a total of 546 days in actual
    2-4  combat, suffered 683 casualties, had 110 men killed, and took 155
    2-5  tanks and self-propelled guns out of commission; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, The upcoming reunion of these men who fought so
    2-7  valiantly together in wartime will be a poignant experience made up
    2-8  of joy and sadness; now, therefore, be it
    2-9        RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
   2-10  73rd Legislature, hereby honor and commend the gallant men of the
   2-11  601st Tank Destroyer Battalion who fought so bravely to uphold the
   2-12  cherished ideals and freedoms of our people; and, be it further
   2-13        RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for this
   2-14  celebrated tank unit as an expression of admiration and esteem from
   2-15  the Texas Senate.
   2-16                                 _____________________________________
   2-17                                        President of the Senate
   2-18                                      I hereby certify that the
   2-19                                 above Resolution was adopted by
   2-20                                 the Senate on April 13, 1993.
   2-21                                 _____________________________________
   2-22                                        Secretary of the Senate
   2-23                                 _____________________________________
   2-24                                         Member, Texas Senate