By Hunter H.R. No. 644
76R11776 JHS-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The Honorable Doyle Willis has been selected to
1-2 receive the first Texas Veteran of the Year award by the Texas
1-3 House of Representatives on the recommendation of the House
1-4 Veterans and Military Affairs Coalition, and he is most deserving
1-5 of this achievement for his many years of service in behalf of our
1-6 state's veterans; and
1-7 WHEREAS, A longtime member of both chambers of the Texas
1-8 Legislature, Senator Willis is well known throughout the Lone Star
1-9 State as a champion of Texas veterans, and he is an ideal selection
1-10 as the inaugural recipient of this unique award; he was awarded the
1-11 first Southwest Veterans Medal of Honor from the editorial board of
1-12 Southwest Life magazine, and he was named the Tarrant County
1-13 Veteran of the Year in 1998; and
1-14 WHEREAS, A former president of the Tarrant County Veterans
1-15 Council and the Tarrant County Reserve Officers Association, he is
1-16 a former VFW state commander and former Legion Post 21 commander
1-17 and has served as president of the Reserve Officers Association's
1-18 12th Congressional District; and
1-19 WHEREAS, Senator Willis is a distinguished veteran of World
1-20 War II, having served in the South Pacific theater as an Army Air
1-21 Forces intelligence officer, and his patriotic service to his
1-22 country earned him the Bronze Star and four Battle Stars; following
1-23 his military tenure, he was honorably discharged as a major, and
1-24 since that time he has established an unparalleled record of
2-1 staunch support for America's veterans; and
2-2 WHEREAS, This native Texan hails from Kaufman County and is a
2-3 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin; during the Great
2-4 Depression he demonstrated his characteristic drive and
2-5 determination when he supported himself while attending Georgetown
2-6 University Law School, where he earned a law degree that would
2-7 later serve him well as a member of the Texas Legislature; and
2-8 WHEREAS, His 50-year career as a legislator began in 1946,
2-9 when he was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives; he
2-10 served three sessions as a state representative before beginning a
2-11 highly productive 10-year term in the senate, and was reelected to
2-12 the house in 1968 and again in 1972 and proudly served until his
2-13 retirement a quarter-century later; and
2-14 WHEREAS, Senator Willis's succession of 12 uninterrupted
2-15 terms in the house of representatives, from the 63rd Regular
2-16 Session to the 74th Regular Session, earned him the title "Dean of
2-17 the House," while his tireless advocacy of veterans' affairs,
2-18 senior citizens' issues, and the protection of children earned him
2-19 other nicknames, including the "Father of Civil Service" and even
2-20 the "Mother Teresa of Texas Veterans"; and
2-21 WHEREAS, During his tenure as a legislator, he carried more
2-22 than 100 bills, many of which positively affected those veterans
2-23 living in the Lone Star State; one of his most noteworthy
2-24 legislative achievements came with the passage of a constitutional
2-25 amendment that authorized an additional $500 million in bond
2-26 authority for the Veterans' Land Board to make low-interest loans
2-27 available to qualified Texas veterans for the purchase of homes;
3-1 other significant legislative initiatives included the passage of
3-2 bills authorizing the issuance of specially designed license plates
3-3 for veterans and their surviving spouses and the establishment of
3-4 veterans county service offices in certain counties, to name but a
3-5 few; and
3-6 WHEREAS, Senator Willis served as chairman of the Legislative
3-7 Veterans Caucus in 1993 and 1995 and was the chairman of the Senate
3-8 Veteran and Military Affairs Committee and the chairman of the
3-9 House Select Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs during the
3-10 74th Legislative Session; he was presented the Texas Army National
3-11 Guard's Lone Star Distinguished Service Medal in 1996 for his
3-12 outstanding leadership and exemplary support of the Army Guard; and
3-13 WHEREAS, This civic-minded individual is a member of the
3-14 First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth and The Sons of the
3-15 Republic of Texas and is a Knight of the Order of San Jacinto and a
3-16 Scottish Rite Mason; he is a former member of the Fort Worth City
3-17 Council, and his community spirit continues to inspire those who
3-18 know him, earning him the respect and admiration of family,
3-19 friends, and neighbors; and
3-20 WHEREAS, A man of great integrity, honor, and compassion,
3-21 Doyle Willis has devoted his life to assisting his fellow veterans
3-22 and serving his fellow Texans, and it is indeed a privilege to pay
3-23 tribute to this noteworthy gentleman and to recognize him for his
3-24 many accomplishments at this time; now, therefore, be it
3-25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
3-26 Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Doyle Willis on his
3-27 receipt of the first Texas Veteran of the Year award and commend
4-1 him for his extraordinary support of veterans' causes; and, be it
4-2 further
4-3 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-4 prepared for Senator Willis as an expression of highest regard by
4-5 the Texas House of Representatives.