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
Laney Goodman Merritt
Alexander Goolsby Miller
Allen Gray Moreno of Harris
Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso
Bailey Grusendorf Morrison
Berman Gutierrez Mowery
Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat
Bosse Hamric Najera
Brimer Hardcastle Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira
Burnam Heflin Olivo
Callegari Hilbert Pickett
Capelo Hilderbran Pitts
Carter Hill Puente
Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay
Chisum Hochberg Rangel
Christian Hodge Raymond
Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar
Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas
Cook Hopson Ritter
Corte Howard Sadler
Counts Hunter Salinas
Crabb Hupp Seaman
Craddick Isett Shields
Crownover Janek Smith
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis
Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons
Delisi Junell Swinford
Denny Keel Talton
Deshotel Keffer Telford
Driver King of Parker Thompson
Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery
Dunnam Kitchen Truitt
Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman
Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris
Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher
Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal
Ellis Longoria Walker
Farabee Luna West
Farrar McCall Williams
Flores McClendon Wilson
Gallego McReynolds Wise
Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth
George Marchant Wolens
Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley
Giddings Maxey Yarbrough
Glaze Menendez Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1040 was adopted by the House on May
11, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House