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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The United States Merchant Marine is made up of a |
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fleet of ships used for commercial transport during peace time and |
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as an auxiliary to the United States Navy during times of war; and |
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WHEREAS, The members of the U.S. Merchant Marine served the |
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United States bravely in World War II, suffering the highest |
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casualty rate of any branch of the military; in spite of their |
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dedicated and heroic service, these men and women are not |
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considered veterans under the Social Security Act, thereby denying |
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them the financial support in their later years that is afforded to |
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those whom they served alongside in war time; and |
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WHEREAS, Merchant mariners are considered military personnel |
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in times of war and have an illustrious history of defending this |
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country that started with contributing to American independence by |
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disrupting the British supply chain during the Revolutionary War; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The Merchant Marine ranks during World War II were |
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filled through campaigns by the War Shipping Administration and |
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military recruiters, served under the auspices of the military, |
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included transferred members from other branches of the military, |
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and were instructed by their commanders about the critical, |
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patriotic importance of service on troop and supply ships; and |
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WHEREAS, The delivery of tanks, aircraft, jeeps, gasoline, |
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medicine, and food rations by the Merchant Marine to troops in every |
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theater of World War II was integral to the Allies' victory; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite accolades from then General Dwight |
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D. Eisenhower and President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the vital |
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military contribution and service in every invasion from Normandy |
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to Okinawa, the merchant mariners were excluded from the GI Bill of |
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Rights enacted in 1945, and for 43 years the U.S. government denied |
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them benefits ranging from housing to health care until Congress |
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awarded them veterans' status in 1988--too late for 125,000 |
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mariners to benefit, roughly half of those who had served; |
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moreover, these merchant mariners continue to be denied veterans' |
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benefits under the Social Security Act; and |
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WHEREAS, The Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of |
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World War II Act of 2005 appropriately honors the service of World |
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War II merchant mariners and attempts to rectify the previous |
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denial of financial benefits by providing a monthly monetary |
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benefit, from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, for each |
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Merchant Marine World War II veteran, or surviving spouse, and |
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bestowing veteran status upon them under the Social Security Act, |
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qualifying these brave individuals for Social Security veterans' |
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benefits; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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support the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War |
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II Act of 2005; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |