1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 662
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes great pride
 1-4     in recognizing the Honorable Doyle Willis, who will be honored on
 1-5     April 15, 1999, as recipient of the first annual Texas Veteran of
 1-6     the Year Award; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Born on August 8, 1908, in Kaufman County, he was
 1-8     educated in the public schools and won a football scholarship
 1-9     to The University of Texas at Austin; he was also the football
1-10     coach at Thorndale, becoming part of a championship tradition; and
1-11           WHEREAS, During the Depression, Doyle Willis worked his way
1-12     through Georgetown University Law School and had the opportunity
1-13     to work for Sam Rayburn and the leaders of the New Deal; and
1-14           WHEREAS, The personification of a patriotic American,
1-15     Senator Willis volunteered when World War II broke out and joined
1-16     the United States Army Air Corps; and
1-17           WHEREAS, Senator Willis saw action in the Pacific as an
1-18     intelligence officer; he was awarded the Bronze Star and four
1-19     Battle Stars, and he ended his impressive career as a major; and
1-20           WHEREAS, First elected to the Texas House of Representatives
1-21     in 1946, his service in the legislature extended 42 years; he served
1-22     five years in the Texas House of Representatives before he was
 2-1     elected to the Texas Senate, where he held office for
 2-2     10 years, ending in 1962; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Winning a seat on the Fort Worth City Council
 2-4     in 1963, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives
 2-5     in 1968 and 1972; Senator Willis has become known as the Father
 2-6     of the Civil Service for the instrumental role which he played
 2-7     in the passage of state civil service laws; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Selected as the first person to receive the
 2-9     Southwest Veterans Medal of Honor, the Honorable Doyle Willis
2-10     is highly esteemed and was the unanimous choice for the premier
2-11     award; it was created by Southwest Life Magazine and Naval Air
2-12     Station News to pay tribute to those veterans who remain
2-13     longtime activists in veterans organizations; and
2-14           WHEREAS, Senator Willis has been a strong proponent of
2-15     veterans benefits and has worked toward this end all of his years
2-16     in office; in 1996, he was chosen to receive the Lone Star
2-17     Distinguished Service Medal from the Texas Army National Guard;
2-18     and
2-19           WHEREAS, During his years in the legislature, he sponsored
2-20     legislation to assist Texas veterans, their widows, and orphans;
2-21     leaving an indelible stamp on Texas laws, he was the author of
2-22     over 100 Texas statutes; he initiated and chaired the 1993 and
2-23     1995 Legislative Veterans Caucus, is past Veterans of Foreign
2-24     Wars State Commander, and initiated the $500 million Veterans
2-25     Land Board Bill; and
2-26           WHEREAS, This distinguished gentleman served as president
 3-1     of the Tarrant County Veterans Council, Department Commander
 3-2     of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and National Judge Advocate
 3-3     of both the Irish American War Veterans and Sons of Confederate
 3-4     War Veterans; he is a combat-related member of the Disabled
 3-5     American Veterans; such a champion of Texas veterans certainly
 3-6     deserves legislative recognition; now, therefore, be it
 3-7           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 3-8     76th Legislature, hereby commend and applaud the innumerable
 3-9     contributions Senator Doyle Willis has made to the citizens
3-10     and veterans of this state; and, be it further
3-11           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
3-12     him as an expression of the highest regard and esteem of the
3-13     Texas Senate.
3-14                                                  Moncrief, Truan, Lucio
3-15           Armbrister           Fraser              Ogden
3-16           Barrientos           Gallegos            Ratliff
3-17           Bernsen              Harris              Shapiro
3-18           Bivins               Haywood             Shapleigh
3-19           Brown                Jackson             Sibley
3-20           Cain                 Lindsay             Wentworth
3-21           Carona               Luna                West
3-22           Duncan               Madla               Whitmire
3-23           Ellis                Nelson              Zaffirini
3-24                                Nixon
3-25                       Perry, President of the Senate
3-26                                  ______________________________________
3-27                                          President of the Senate
3-28                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-29                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-30                                  on April 15, 1999.
3-31                                  ______________________________________
3-32                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-33                                  ______________________________________
3-34                                           Member, Texas Senate
3-35                                  ______________________________________
 4-1                                            Dean of the Senate
 4-2                                  ______________________________________
 4-3                                           Member, Texas Senate