R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The qualities of courage and loyalty are not limited 1-2 to the brave men and women who have proven themselves in war, and 1-3 no example better illustrates this point than the combat service of 1-4 the war dogs of Vietnam; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Nearly 4,000 dogs served with the United States 1-6 Armed Forces during that conflict and some 500 died in battle; they 1-7 are among America's forgotten heroes, dogs that served as scouts, 1-8 sentries, and trackers, and even water dogs that were trained to 1-9 locate enemy divers; and 1-10 WHEREAS, The varied and vital roles played by these faithful 1-11 animals throughout the Vietnam War have been largely forgotten by 1-12 all except the soldiers who were their handlers and the nearly 1-13 10,000 men whose lives were saved by the war dogs of Vietnam; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Unlike the dogs that served in World War II, the war 1-15 dogs of Vietnam were left behind with other military equipment when 1-16 the United States pulled out of the country; some were euthanized 1-17 and some were handed over to the South Vietnamese Army, but fewer 1-18 than 200 dogs were returned from overseas; and 1-19 WHEREAS, The members of the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association 1-20 and the makers of the documentary, War Dogs, America's Forgotten 1-21 Heroes, seek to increase awareness among American citizens of the 1-22 important role the dogs had in the war; to that end, the 1-23 association and a number of corporate sponsors are raising funds to 1-24 build monuments in Riverside, California, and Washington, D.C., 2-1 depicting a soldier standing by his dog in front of an inscribed 2-2 wall honoring the dogs that have served in all wars; and 2-3 WHEREAS, These remarkable animals have never before been 2-4 honored for their bravery and service, and it is indeed appropriate 2-5 that they be remembered at this time; now, therefore, be it 2-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-7 Legislature hereby commemorate the war dogs of Vietnam and their 2-8 special place in history and extend to the Vietnam Dog Handlers 2-9 Association best wishes for success with this worthy project. Morrison _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 522 was adopted by the House on March 14, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House