1-1 1 1-2 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 581 1-3 WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes pride 1-4 in joining citizens across our country in recognizing Friday, 1-5 April 9, 1999, as Former Prisoners of War Recognition Day; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Former Prisoners of War Recognition Day is an 1-7 opportunity for Americans to honor and demonstrate support for our 1-8 country's former prisoners of war and to express appreciation for 1-9 the suffering and loss of personal freedom that they endured during 1-10 their imprisonment; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Throughout our nation's history, our men and 1-12 women have placed themselves in great peril in order to defend 1-13 our country, and many of these people were held captive for long 1-14 months or years and were forced to endure hunger, abuse, torture, 1-15 isolation, and dreadful suspense; and 1-16 WHEREAS, During World War II alone, 129,635 United States 1-17 military personnel and 18,745 civilians were captured and interned 1-18 by the Nazis and by the Japanese; and 1-19 WHEREAS, In the State of Texas, the members of the American 1-20 Ex-Prisoners of War total 2,488; there are 24 chapters of this 1-21 organization in Texas, and the oldest chapters are the East Texas 1-22 Chapter chartered in 1953 and the San Antonio Chapter chartered 1-23 in 1956; and 1-24 WHEREAS, The American prisoners of war made extreme 2-1 sacrifices for our country and are among the brave men and women 2-2 who have defended our nation's ideals, security, and safety; and 2-3 WHEREAS, It is appropriate that the Texas Legislature 2-4 designate a day on which to pay tribute to the former prisoners 2-5 of war and express gratitude for the love they have demonstrated 2-6 for our country and for the extraordinary courage, patriotism, 2-7 tenacity, and endurance they have demonstrated; now, therefore, 2-8 be it 2-9 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 2-10 76th Legislature, hereby encourage Texans across our state to 2-11 observe Former Prisoners of War Recognition Day on Friday, 2-12 April 9, 1999; and, be it further 2-13 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor 2-14 of all former prisoners of war as an expression of high esteem from 2-15 the Texas Senate. 2-16 Truan 2-17 Armbrister Gallegos Nixon 2-18 Barrientos Harris Ogden 2-19 Bernsen Haywood Ratliff 2-20 Bivins Jackson Shapiro 2-21 Brown Lindsay Shapleigh 2-22 Cain Lucio Sibley 2-23 Carona Luna Wentworth 2-24 Duncan Madla West 2-25 Ellis Moncrief Whitmire 2-26 Fraser Nelson Zaffirini 2-27 Perry, President of the Senate 2-28 ______________________________________ 2-29 President of the Senate 2-30 I hereby certify that the above 2-31 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 2-32 on April 9, 1999. 2-33 ______________________________________ 2-34 Secretary of the Senate 2-35 ______________________________________ 2-36 Dean of the Senate