By Morrison                                            H.R. No. 522
         77R35 BE-D                           
                                 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.