HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, On Christmas Eve 1944, while carrying American
 1-2     soldiers of the 66th Infantry Division to reinforce Allied troops
 1-3     fighting the Battle of the Bulge, the SS Leopoldville was sunk in
 1-4     the English Channel by a U-boat torpedo, resulting in the loss of
 1-5     763 members of the 262nd and 264th regiments, including 35 Texans;
 1-6     and
 1-7           WHEREAS, The underwater grave, located five and a half miles
 1-8     off the coast of Cherbourg, France, cradles to this day the remains
 1-9     of 493 unrecovered and entombed American servicemen who have been
1-10     honored by monuments erected across the United States in their
1-11     memory; and
1-12           WHEREAS, World War II combat and wreckage locations,
1-13     including many at sea, have fallen prey to plunderers and looters
1-14     who, in seeking souvenirs and commercial reward, have desecrated
1-15     the memory of our valorous combatants and their final resting
1-16     places; and
1-17           WHEREAS, The wreckage of the SS Leopoldville is threatened by
1-18     the practice of divers who descend to remove such artifacts as
1-19     brass, portholes, and other parts of the ship and who, if
1-20     unchecked, may begin to extract the personal effects and military
1-21     equipment of the deceased and in so doing disturb the sanctity of
1-22     their burial site; and
1-23           WHEREAS, The State of New York has issued a proclamation in
1-24     memory of the victims of the SS Leopoldville, and at least a dozen
 2-1     like measures have been passed by other states to commemorate the
 2-2     men who lost their lives in this tragedy and to ensure that they
 2-3     continue their silent rest in dignity; now, therefore, be it
 2-4           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
 2-5     hereby honor the American servicemen who were lost when the
 2-6     troopship SS Leopoldville was sunk by an enemy torpedo on December
 2-7     24, 1944; and, be it further
 2-8           RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature respectfully memorialize
 2-9     the Congress of the United States to take appropriate action to
2-10     prevent further desecration of the SS Leopoldville or any of its
2-11     contents; and, be it further
2-12           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
2-13     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
2-14     the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
2-15     the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of
2-16     the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
2-17     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
2-18     memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.
                                                                      Hunter
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 201 was adopted by the House on
         April 5, 2001, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 201 was adopted by the Senate on
         May 2, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  __________________________
                              Date
                    __________________________
                            Governor