H.R. No. 228



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Honorable Sam Johnson, United States 
representative for the Third Congressional District of Texas, is 
marking the 30th anniversary of his release as a prisoner of war in 
Vietnam and his return to the Lone Star State; and
	WHEREAS, A career air force officer who flew with the Air 
Force Thunderbirds and was a veteran of 62 combat missions during 
the Korean War, Lieutenant Colonel Johnson was flying his 25th 
combat mission in Vietnam when he was shot down on April 16, 1966; 
ejecting from his plane, he sustained a dislocated shoulder, broken 
arm, and broken back; and
	WHEREAS, Following his capture, Lieutenant Colonel Johnson 
was held at camps known as Alcatraz and the Hanoi Hilton; he endured 
72 days in leg stocks and 2-1/2 years in leg irons, as well as 3-1/2 
years in solitary confinement; he was ultimately released on 
February 12, 1973, having spent nearly seven years in captivity; 
and
	WHEREAS, This distinguished officer retired from the service 
with the rank of colonel in 1979; over the course of his 29-year 
career in the air force he received two Silver Stars, two Legions of 
Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, 
two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit 
Awards; his book Captive Warriors:  A Vietnam POW's Story was 
published by Texas A&M University in 1992; and
	WHEREAS, In 1984, after a few short years in private life, 
Congressman Johnson won election to the Texas House of 
Representatives, where he served three terms; he has represented 
the Third Congressional District in Washington, D.C., since 1991, 
and is now the highest-ranking Texan on the Ways and Means Committee 
and the Committee on Education and the Workforce; he also advises 
informally on issues regarding military readiness and serves on the 
Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution; and
	WHEREAS, Congressman Johnson's outstanding contributions to 
his country and his immeasurable sacrifice in its behalf represent 
the highest measure of patriotism, and it is a privilege to join his 
wife Shirley, his three children, and his 10 grandchildren in 
celebrating on February 17, 2003, the 30th anniversary of his 
return to Texas; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor Congressman Sam Johnson on the 30th 
anniversary of his release from the prisoner of war camps of North 
Vietnam and extend to him its profound appreciation for his 
lifetime of exemplary public service; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Congressman Johnson as a token of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                          McCall
                                                                      Laubenberg
                                                                          Madden
                                                                          Paxton



       

       

       
Craddick

       Giddings

       Merritt

       
Allen

       Goodman

       Miller

       
Alonzo

       Goolsby

       Moreno of Harris

       
Bailey

       Griggs

       Moreno of El Paso

       
Baxter

       Grusendorf

       Morrison

       
Berman

       Guillen

       Mowery

       
Bohac

       Gutierrez

       Naishtat

       
Bonnen

       Haggerty

       Nixon

       
Branch

       Hamilton

       Noriega

       
Brown of Kaufman

       Hamric

       Oliveira

       
Brown of Brazos

       Hardcastle

       Olivo

       
Burnam

       Harper-Brown

       Paxton

       
Callegari

       Hartnett

       Pena

       
Campbell

       Heflin

       Phillips

       
Canales

       Hegar

       Pickett

       
Capelo

       Hilderbran

       Pitts

       
Casteel

       Hill

       Puente

       
Castro

       Hochberg

       Quintanilla

       
Chavez

       Hodge

       Rangel

       
Chisum

       Homer

       Raymond

       
Christian

       Hope

       Reyna

       
Coleman

       Hopson

       Riddle

       
Cook of Navarro

       Howard

       Ritter

       
Cook of Colorado

       Hughes

       Rodriguez

       
Corte

       Hunter

       Rose

       
Crabb

       Hupp

       Seaman

       
Crownover

       Isett

       Smith of Tarrant

       
Davis of Harris

       Jones of Lubbock

       Smith of Harris

       
Davis of Dallas

       Jones of Bexar

       Smithee

       
Dawson

       Jones of Dallas

       Solis

       
Delisi

       Keel

       Solomons

       
Denny

       Keffer of Dallas

       Stick

       
Deshotel

       Keffer of Eastland

       Swinford

       
Driver

       King

       Talton

       
Dukes

       Kolkhorst

       Taylor

       
Dunnam

       Krusee

       Telford

       
Dutton

       Kuempel

       Thompson

       
Edwards

       Laney

       Truitt

       
Eiland

       Laubenberg

       Turner

       
Eissler

       Lewis

       Uresti

       
Elkins

       Luna

       Van Arsdale

       
Ellis

       Mabry

       Villarreal

       
Farabee

       Madden

       West

       
Farrar

       Marchant

       Wilson

       
Flores

       Martinez Fischer

       Wise

       
Flynn

       McCall

       Wohlgemuth

       
Gallego

       McClendon

       Wolens

       
Garza

       McReynolds

       Wong

       
Gattis

       Menendez

       Woolley

       
Geren

       Mercer

       Zedler

       

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 228 was adopted by the House on 
February 18, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House